The Way to the Heart: Version Two
by Broken Angel01
Summary: A rewritten version of the original 'The Way to the Heart.' Contains Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days spoilers galore!
1. The Missing Link

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney or anything else related to Kingdom Hearts!

**A/N: So, you're all probably wondering what this is. Well, since I like these Kingdom Hearts stories of mine so much I have decided to upload a second version for _The Way to the Heart_, and this is it! Reason being? I have decided to post the rewritten story with _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days _spoilers galore! New quotes**, **changed information, and all that fun stuff to place the rewritten story in line with the canon of _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. _All seven chapters will be reposted with this new version. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and of course this new version contains _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days _spoliers. If you have not finished the game yet, I would advise you to refrain from reading this new version till you have. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, I will be updating Sunset Dreams again soon, as well.  
**

The Way to the Heart

_"I always thought Nobodies were doomed to fade back into darkness..." (Namine: Kingdom Hearts II)_

Chapter 1: The Missing Link

_Roxas_

_Destiny Islands_

"So...what do you think, Roxas? I bet you're really anxious to see Twilight Town again, and the best part is...you don't have to worry about upsetting Goofy and Donald! I already asked them, and even Donald said we could use the Gummi Ship, as long as he, oh and Goofy of course, get to come with! Listen, I know you're probably not looking forward to maybe confronting Seifer's gang again, especially after the way they treated you only a few days before you found me, but I really don't think you should let that stop you from visiting your friends. If you ask me, there's no reason why we can't avoid Seifer long enough to make it to the usual spot without causing a scene. I'm sure Hayner and the others will be there, and if they are, I can...well...you know..."

_What, Sora? What will you do? The Hayner I know doesn't exist. He won't remember me, and neither will Pence or Olette. To them, I'm nothing but a stranger; that weird kid passing through Twilight Town in a dark coat, not someone worth remembering. The kid who didn't even know what Grandstander was... Hayner only ever spoke to me once, and he wasn't even all that nice to me from what I can recall. In fact, the only reason he even spoke to me in the first place was because Pence recognized me from that time before...To the real Hayner, Pence, and Olette, I'm nothing. Why would they bother to remember a Nobody who never should have been born in the first place? It's true I came to life in the real Twilight Town, and Pence even helped me and Axel out when we needed to find that giant Heartless, even if he did kind of help inadvertently, but...most of my visits to Twilight Town were spent with the Organization. With Axel. It wasn't until Riku defeated me, and Ansem sent me to live out my remaining days in a simulation of my hometown, that I actually became friends with Hayner. My past is no different than yours, Sora. I forgot who I was. I forgot about the Organization. I even forgot about my best friend. Axel. Hayner became my new best friend, but all of my memories about summer vacation, being a part of Hayner's group...they weren't real. None of it was real..._

_**"On your own today? Oh, did you find your friend?"**_

_**"Huh? Oh, yeah."**_

_**"Friend of yours, Pence?"**_

_**"Yeah, I bumped into him a little while back."**_

_**"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Olette."**_

_**"Nice to...meet you, too...."**_

_Hayner, Pence, Olette. I never even told them my name...  
_

Letting out a soft sigh, former member of Organization XIII, Roxas, also known as the Key of Destiny, stared silently at his transparent hands, and after a moment of hesitation, he slowly lifted his head and found himself gazing into the Keyblade Master's bright blue eyes. Sora was sitting on a fallen tree trunk with his hands pressed against the bark on either side of his hips for support, and there was an eager look on his youthful face. The sun reflected off his spiky, brown hair, making it appear lighter than it really was, and every so often he would swing his feet and smile at the sun shining directly above them. Roxas stood next to his other half, his shoulder just barely reaching Sora's left knee, but despite the comfortable atmosphere between them, he could not help feeling a little bit uneasy. His sudden anxiety did not come from Sora's presence exactly, it was more because of what Sora was trying to get him to do.

_It's strange. Sora and I are so much alike, and yet at times we act like two completely different people. How can that be when I'm supposed to be a part of him? I am him, and he's me, so why..._

"Roxas, are you even listening to me?" Sora asked, poking him playfully in the shoulder to get his attention.

Logically, Sora's finger should have passed right through him, since he existed merely as a transparent figure without a physical body to support even a simple touch on the shoulder, but oddly enough, that did not happen. Instead, he felt the pressure of Sora's finger pressing against the fabric of his shirt, and the implications of what that might mean confused him. It was only recently, since right before Sora and Riku battled Xemnas to be exact, that he had discovered he could separate himself from Sora's body and exist as little more than a wraith along side people whose hearts were still intact, and yet, at the same time, he could still exist within Sora, or more accurately, within Sora's heart without any kind of body, whether real or spirit. It wasn't like before, when he had had a physical body of his own, but he was slowly starting to get used to his new existence and the role he was to play in the life of the Keyblade Master. He had gotten comfortable with people being able to touch him quickly enough, despite the fact that it should have been impossible, and although he would never admit it to anyone, he was glad he could engage in physical contact with other people, especially since it meant he could whack Sora over the head with Oblivion, Oathkeeper, or whatever Keyblade he happened to be using from his other half's large collection during their training sessions. The two of them had begun to fight against each other in mock battles in order to keep the Keyblade Master's guard up and his skills sharp, and more often than not, Riku would join them in what was fast becoming a daily ritual not only for him, but for Sora and Riku, as well. Still, as fun as it was to fight against Sora, the part he liked best was the fact that he could plant his fist in the Keyblade Master's stomach whenever the fool came up with another ridiculous idea to 'help' him gain back a little of the life he had ended up leaving behind. Unfortunately this was one of those moments, and if he didn't think of something soon, his other half was going to walk away with another victory to add to a list that was growing larger everyday.

_I don't understand you, Sora. You can be so naive sometimes, and yet, oddly enough, you have your moments of brilliance. As weird as it sounds, if you had turned out to be anyone other than who you are, I think I would have been disappointed. I wonder if you even realize how lucky you really are..._

He had learned a lot about Sora since the two of them had merged together, but what fascinated him the most about his other half was something that had caught him completely off guard.

_We have the same eyes. Even though we don't look exactly the same, our eyes are mirror images of each other. It's like I'm looking at myself. I remember King Mickey made a comment about Riku's eyes when Sora and the others were making their way through the castle in The World that Never was, and I think what the King had said is true for everyone. Look at me. Look at Namine. The eyes can never lie..._

"Roxas, you'll never know if you don't try. I can tell you want to see them again, even if you won't admit it."

_**"Wow, you're good!"**_

_**"Yeah, you'd give Hayner a run for his money!"**_

_**"I guess you're all right. We're cool, man."**_

_**"Uh...thanks?"**_

_**"Sorry for railing on you before."**_

_**"Hayner was only acting all grumpy because Seifer beat his record."**_

_**"Hey, that's enough from the peanut gallery!"**_

_**"Heh heh."**_

_**"Oh great, now even the new guy is laughing at me!"**_

_Hayner..._

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Roxas hopped onto the fallen tree trunk and settled himself next to his other half, trying unsuccessfully to keep his memories at bay. Scratching the back of his head, he frowned at the ocean for a moment, and smiling slightly, he turned to look at the Keyblade Master. "Listen, Sora, I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I don't think it's going to work. Have you forgotten already? I spent my time in the real Twilight Town with Organization XIII. The Hayner, Pence, and Olette I knew only existed in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town. I mean...I met the real Hayner, but I never _knew_ the real Hayner. Same with Pence and Olette. It's just...it's not the same thing..."

"You're wrong, Roxas."

"Huh?"

Roxas stared at the Keyblade Master in surprise, and turning so the two of them were facing each other, he frowned at the stubborn look on his other half's face. He opened his mouth to object, but Sora held up a hand for silence and refused to let him answer. "Roxas, not long after I first woke up in the real Twilight Town, I came across your three friends, and they acted kind of...odd around me. At first, I had no clue as to why, but now I'm starting to understand. When I left with Goofy and Donald to continue my search for Riku, for some reason Hayner and the others felt as if they should see me off, but they didn't really know why. I felt sad leaving them behind, and I was afraid I'd never see them or Twilight Town ever again, but now I realize those weren't my feelings. They were _your _feelings. Don't you understand? They may not remember you in their minds, but their hearts still remember you, and that's the most important thing."

_Their hearts..._

"They will remember you. Not as a stranger from Twilight Town, but as a friend. I know they will. It's the memories you believe in that are real. They're the only ones that count. You were there. You saw the way they acted around me. Don't tell me you didn't."

It was true. At the time, his consciousness had been drifting aimlessly within Sora's heart, but even so, he had seen the truth through the Keyblade Master's eyes.

_Could Sora be right after all? Is there really a way for them to remember me, even though they didn't know me to begin with?_

"Roxas, do you remember your life before Ansem sent you to live out your remaining days in his simulation of Twilight Town?" Sora asked, avoiding his eyes.

Roxas hesitated and slowly nodded. Even though Sora wasn't looking directly at him, he knew the Keyblade Master was watching him closely. "Yes, I remember being best friends with Axel, I remember fighting Riku, and I remember my life as a member of Organization XIII. I remember everything now. All of my memories came back to me just as we were about to merge together. I believe that's when all of your memories were finally restored, as well. At least, that was the moment when the process of restoring your memories became complete, but I think you already knew all of this. I said something to you then, but you never even heard me."

"What...what did you say?"

Roxas shrugged his shoulders, and shaking his head he quickly turned his face away before Sora could glimpse the emotion in his eyes. "It doesn't matter. You know what I remember the most? Axel. The two of used to eat sea-salt ice cream on top of the clock tower in Twilight Town, and then we would watch the sunset together. Not that the sun ever really sets in a place where the sky only shifts between different shades of twilight instead of night and day, but you know what I mean. Axel always knew exactly what to say to cheer me up. I...I really miss him."

_He was the only member of the Organization who treated me like I had a heart..._

Roxas felt the sudden touch of a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, and lifting his head, he once again found himself gazing into Sora's deep blue eyes. "Roxas, I can't bring Axel back, but I can help you reunite with your other friends. You're really lucky, you know that? A lot of people are happy just to have one best friend. You had two."

_I'm...lucky?_

"Sora, I...I heard him. I heard what Axel said about me. He...he said I made him feel like he had a heart. What do you think he meant by that?"

Sora glanced at him and smiled slightly. "You know, Axel said the same thing about me. Think about it, Roxas. How can you make someone feel like they have a heart unless you, yourself, have one?"

Roxas frowned and shook his head in confusion. "But, I'm a Nobody. I don't have a...a heart, do I? I mean...I've never been able to tell..."

Sora leaped off the fallen tree trunk, and smiling he threw his arms behind his head in his usual trademark pose. At first he didn't say anything, but after a moment of silence, the Keyblade Master slowly tilted his head to the side and gazed up at the clear, blue sky, as if thinking carefully about what to say next. "I don't care what the Organization believed. I know you have a heart, and that's all that matters to me."

"But...how can you be so sure?"

"Because, it's standing right in front of you."

Roxas jerked his head up in surprise, and staring at the Keyblade Master he felt his mouth drop open in shock. "Huh?"

"Look at it this way. How many other Nobodies have ever had the chance to meet their original selves? Most Nobodies end up losing their other halves and their hearts to the darkness. You didn't. Your heart is still free, and so are you. Unlike the other members of the Organization, I think, in the end, Axel was finally able to find the answers to his questions. I bet he had a lot of them, which would explain why, along with wanting to see you again, he kept showing up and bugging me all the time. He was able to see the truth about you, even if he didn't know it at the time, which was something the other members of the Organization couldn't understand. King Mickey himself told me you and Namine defied many of the things Ansem the Wise believed about Nobodies. There are always exceptions to the rules. You and Namine are perfect examples of that. Roxas, we're together now. That's something other Nobodies, besides Namine, will never have, and that's why _you_ have a heart."

_My...heart..._

"Roxas, did you hear what Ansem said to you?"

_**"And Roxas, I doubt you can hear me, but...I am sorry..."**_

Roxas studied Sora's face for a moment and slowly nodded. "I heard him."

"Do you...forgive him?"

"Yes, I do."

Sora crossed his arms over his chest, and with a flash of light, Oblivion appeared in his right hand. "How come?"

"Because, after a year of searching for the truth, I was finally able to find the place where I belonged. That place is right here with you. And you know what? It feels...pretty good."

"Really?"

Roxas wrapped his arms around his knees, and glancing over Sora's shoulder, he proceeded to stare at the ocean. "When I found you sleeping in that pod in the old mansion, I wanted to hate you for everything that had happened to me, but I...I couldn't..."

Sora slowly moved closer to him, and studying him curiously the Keyblade Master rested his arm against the fallen tree trunk. Roxas had expected his other half to be offended, but instead of getting angry, Sora just stared at him and thrust the sharp end of Oblivion into the sand. "Why not?"

Roxas let out a short laugh, and reaching down, he pulled Oblivion free from the sand and twirled the Keyblade lightly in his hand. "You're a hard person to hate, Sora. If you can make someone like Riku want to be your best friend, then a guy like me doesn't stand a chance. Besides, hating you would be like hating myself. No, it _would _be hating myself, no question about it."

"Do you hate yourself?"

Roxas smiled slightly and pointed Oblivion at Sora's heart. "Not anymore. Not after I left the Organization."

"Did you really leave the Organization because you wanted to meet me?" Sora asked hesitantly, avoiding his eyes.

Roxas turned his face away and lowered his gaze to the ground. "Nobodies always feel the need to be complete. It haunts them, and they will do everything they can to fill that void. They seek to reunite with their lost hearts, but many of them will settle for any heart as long as they get to be whole again. I wasn't like that, Sora. I didn't want just any heart. I wanted _my _heart, and I wasn't going to settle for anything less. You want to know why I left the Organization? I left because I wanted to know who I was. I wanted to know why the Keyblade had chosen me. I wanted...I left to find my heart. Let's just...leave it at that."

_**"Are you gonna tell me or not? Axel...who am I?"**_

_**"You've just gotta trust me, Roxas."**_

_**"I don't."**_

_**"Hey, c'mon..."**_

_**"If I can't get answers here, I'll get them somewhere else. Somebody knows where I came from. That'll be the person I trust."**_

_Axel...why didn't you just tell me you were afraid to lose me....  
_

Sora flicked the tip of Oblivion to the side, and spinning around he turned to smile at the ocean. "One more question. Do you feel like you found it?"

_Why do you need to ask when you already know the answer?_

Making a face, Roxas slid off the tree trunk and landed lightly on the sand in front of his other half. Taking a step forward, he dropped Oblivion into Sora's hands and circled the Keyblade Master with a small smile on his face. "You know what, Sora? Riku was right about you. You are a total sap!"

"Hey!"

Roxas took a step back and Oathkeeper appeared in his hand just in time to stop Oblivion from slashing him across the chest. The two Keyblades connected with a musical clang, and Sora pushed him back against the tree trunk. "I get enough of that from Riku. I don't need to take it from you, too!"

Laughing, Roxas ducked under Oblivion, and leaning close to Sora, he dismissed Oathkeeper with a flick of his wrist. "Like I said, you make a good Other."

"Sora! Roxas! Over here!"

Roxas looked up at the sound of several voices calling his name, and he spotted Riku, Kairi, Goofy, and Donald hurrying towards him.

The group came to a stop next to Sora, and crossing his arms, Donald gave the Keyblade Master an expectant look. "Well, Sora? Have you convinced him yet?"

_I can't believe it! They're all in on it. Every single one of them!_

At least Sora had the decency to look a little sheepish, but the Keyblade Master's sudden embarrassment did not make Roxas feel any less annoyed. Muttering to himself, he turned to look at Kairi and letting out a deep sigh he said, "Namine, not you too."

With a flash of bright yellow light, Namine separated herself from Kairi's body and giving him a weak smile she said regretfully, "I'm sorry, Roxas, but I think this is something you really need to do. I'm partly to blame for everything that's happened to you, and I...I want to make it up to you..."

Roxas gently placed his hands on Namine's shoulders and smiled at her. "I don't blame you."

"Maybe not, but I blame myself."

"Thanks again, Donald, and you too, Goofy, for letting us use the Gummi Ship," Sora interrupted, beaming at his two companions.

"Gawrsh, Sora, you don't have to thank us. You know we're always ready to help you out," Goofy replied, scratching his head. "Besides, we want to help Roxas, too."

"Even if he did cause us a lot of trouble," Donald muttered.

Riku smacked the court wizard on the back of the head and smiled at his best friend. "Are you ready to go, Sora? Donald and Goofy already escorted the King back to Disney Castle over a week ago, and now that the King has given them permission to stay here awhile and spend some time with us, we might as well put it to good use."

Roxas stared at the older boy in disbelief and waving his hands to get everyone's attention he shouted, "Excuse me, but don't _I _get to have a say in this?"

"Nope. You're coming with whether you want to or not!" Kairi said cheerfully. "Come on, guys, the Gummi Ship is waiting. The sooner we reunite Roxas with Hayner and the others, the sooner we all get to hang out and have some fun. That's what friends are supposed to do. And I don't know about you guys, but I'd love to see Olette and the rest of the gang again. They're a part of our group, too, even if they do live in a world that's completely different from ours, just like Leon, and Yuffie, and...well...everyone!"

"Kairi's right. Let's go, guys!" Sora said enthusiastically, pumping his fist into the air.

Roxas allowed Namine to drag him along by the arm, and summoning Oathkeeper again, he 'accidentally' poked Donald in the back with the Keyblade's sharp tip. The court wizard let out a loud 'quack', but despite his successful attempt at revenge, he could not help himself from letting out another deep sigh.

_How do I get myself into these things?_


	2. Sunset Hill

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, or anything else related to Kingdom Hearts, including the characters.

**A/N: Okay, next chapter. This is the shortest one out of all of them. Now, for those of you who didn't read the original, if you're wondering, this story takes place after Sora and Riku make it back to Destiny Islands, but before they receive the Kings letter. We don't know how much time passed between the two incidents so I figured it was fair game to play around with. Also, lines from this fic are taken from Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and the original GBA version of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. And that's it from me. Oh, and the story takes place in both Roxas' POV and Sora's POV. Also, just a note, I'm still calling it the tunnel way, (KH II) though that area of Twilight Town has a different name in 358/2 Days. I should also add... Xion. You will notice that nobody remembers her in this story. I will eventually rewrite the sequel _The Eyes of Twilight _as well where I will bring her into the story. As they're all going to find out, history has a way of popping up even when it isn't supposed to be remembered...  
**

The Way to the Heart

Chapter 2: Sunset Hill

_Roxas_

_Sunset Hill, Twilight Town_

About twenty minutes later, thanks to the warp drive function on the Gummi Ship, Roxas found himself standing at the base of the monument on Sunset Hill. Thankfully, there were no other people in the area at the moment because that would have caused some serious complications.

_It's not everyday a Gummi Ship drops out of the sky on Sunset Hill and gets sent back into orbit for safe keeping, and with Namine and I looking like a couple of apparitions, it could cause a lot of talk. Then again, so many strange things have happened recently in not only Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, but in the real Twilight Town, too, and because of that I wouldn't be surprised if everyone here had gotten used to a little bit of weirdness by now. I bet every person in this town has seen a member of the Organization lurking around at some point in time. I mean, I know Xigbar and the others took great care when it came to visiting other worlds undetected, but even their luck had to have run out once in a while. Pence is a perfect example. He saw both me and Axel. It makes sense, though. After all, this is where almost all Nobodies come into existence...which makes me wonder about Namine and her connection with Castle Oblivion...  
_

"I thought I would feel sad coming back to this place, but instead I feel...happy," Namine said softly, clasping her hands together and gazing up at the pale orange sky. "Now that my mind is being filled with good memories, all of the bad ones are starting to fade away..."

Kairi gazed at her Nobody for a long moment, and reaching out, she gently wrapped her arms around the blond female in a warm hug. "I'm glad, Namine. I would hate for you to be sad."

"What about you, Roxas?" Sora asked, leaning against the monument with his arms crossed over his chest.

Roxas turned away from the Keyblade Master, and letting out a soft sigh he let his eyes wander over Sunset Terrace below him. Everything about Twilight Town brought back so many painful memories, and yet, like Namine, he felt strangely at peace with himself.

_**"You're early."**_

_**"No, you're just late."**_

_**"Today makes 255."**_

_**"What's that about?"**_

_**"It's been that many days since I first joined the Organization. Man, time flies."**_

_**"So, you got the number memorized?"**_

_**"Yeah. Have to hang onto something, right? It's not like I have memories from before. Don't you remember? I acted like a zombie."**_

_**"Right, that first week you could barely form a sentence. But come on, you're still kind of a zombie."**_

_**" Oh, thanks!"**_

_**"Hey, Roxas. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red. You see, light is made up of lots of colours. And out of all those colours, red is the one that travels the farthest."**_

_**"Like I asked. Know-it-all!"**_

_I might have a lot of sad memories of this place, but there are a lot of good ones, too. Memories of Axel, Namine, Hayner, Pence, Olette, and even of Sora. It feels...good to be back. After all, this is where I was born. This is my hometown, and nothing is ever going to change that._

_"_At least this time there aren't any Nobodies hanging around," Donald muttered, glancing suspiciously at every rock and tree as if he couldn't quite believe their good fortune.

Sora nodded in agreement, and stepping away from the monument, he gazed thoughtfully in the direction of Sunset Station. "I wonder what ever happened to Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town and the entrance to The World That Never Was. Maybe Hayner and the others will know."

"You're right, Sora. They were the ones who helped us find a way to get there using the computer inside that there old mansion," Goofy said cheerfully. "Why don't we ask them? You're curious, too, aren't you, Donald?"

"Maybe a little."

_Huh? Does that mean I can go back to the Twilight Town I knew so well?  
_

As much as he wanted to believe that was possible, for some reason he had a strange feeling the simulation of Twilight Town no longer existed.

_How ironic that in the real Twilight Town I was nothing but a shadow passing through, but in the fake Twilight Town_ _I was somebody who mattered._ _Here in the real Twilight Town, the only place that was really important to me was the clock tower..._

_**"Nothing lasts forever, man. Least of all for a bunch of Nobodies. But you know, we'll still have each other even if things change and we can't do this anymore."**_

_**"Yeah?"**_

_**"As long as we remember each other, we'll never be apart. Got it memorized?"**_

_**"Ha ha! Wow, Axel. That sounded ridiculous."**_

_**"What? I thought it was pretty deep..."  
**_

But in the end, did it really matter? Twilight Town was Twilight Town, and in his memories that was how it would always be.

_Fake or real, it doesn't matter. It was all real to me..._

With a flash of light, Oblivion appeared in Sora's hand, and the Keyblade Master pointed his weapon first at the tunnel way and then at Sunset Station. "I don't know about you guys, but I think we've stood around talking long enough. Let's go find our friends. So, what do you think? Should we take the train or go through the tunnels?"

"Let's go to Sunset Station. I've never been on the train here before. I bet the view is amazing," Kairi said enthusiastically.

Sora twirled Oblivion in his hand with a flourish, and smiling he gave Kairi an elaborate bow. "The station it is. I hope we have enough munny on us."

"In that case, everyone had better start emptying their pockets!" Riku snorted.

"But-"

"You too, Donald!" Sora interrupted, frowning at the court wizard and searching his own body for spare change.

"Look on the bright side, Donald, at least you don't have to pay for me or Roxas," Namine said, looking amused. She gave the court wizard a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and nodded her head towards Sora and Kairi. "We'll just join with our original selves, and that way we won't end up scaring the residents of Twilight Town."

_Speak for yourself, Namine!_

Laughing, Roxas poked Namine playfully in the stomach and said, "Oh, thanks! I'll admit some members of the Organization were pretty creepy, but I never was!"

Namine beamed at him, and reaching out, she lightly placed her fingers against his cheek. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you smile. You do it a lot more often now that you're with Sora. It feels pretty good, doesn't it?"

"Better than I thought it would, but the best part is seeing _you_ smile. You seemed so sad when I found you at the mansion, but now you're...different. I guess I have Kairi to thank for that."

"You're welcome," Kairi said softly, her bright blue eyes watching him closely.

_Why is she looking at me like that?_

Roxas glanced quickly at Namine before turning back to Kairi, and realizing what must be going through her mind at that moment, he felt his face heat up. _Wait a minute, she doesn't think..._

"Are you ready to go, Namine?" Kairi asked, holding out her hand.

Namine smiled rather shyly at her other half, and reaching out, she gave Kairi's hand a tight squeeze. "I'm ready."

_I guess Namine's still getting used to the fact that she finally has some friends now._

Roxas watched Namine disappear into Kairi's body with a flash of bright yellow light, and turning his face away, he smiled softly to himself. He didn't think anyone else had noticed, but just before Namine had taken Kairi's hand, he had felt the golden-haired Nobody's fingers press gently against his heart, or at least the spot where Sora kept insisting he had a heart. It was almost as if she had been trying to tell him something, but unfortunately he had no clue exactly what it was she had wanted him to understand.

"Come on, guys, hand over your munny!" Sora insisted, waving Oblivion over his head to get everyone's attention. Kairi and the others immediately circled around the Keyblade Master and proceeded to hand over their cash, although in Donald's case it was done rather reluctantly, and it was only after realizing there was someone missing that Roxas became aware of Riku's presence close beside him. The two of them were standing a little apart from the others, and even though Riku's aquamarine eyes were focused on Sora, Roxas knew the older boy's attention was directed at something other than the Keyblade Master.

"Riku, why is he doing this?"

Riku glanced at him and smiled slightly. "You know Sora. He's about as thick-headed as they come, but he has a big heart, and that's why I wouldn't want anyone else but him for a best friend. I guess that would mean you, too, since you and Sora are one and the same. He might be stubborn sometimes, but where would I be now if he wasn't? There were so many times when he could have given up on me, but he didn't, and that's why I was able to free my heart from the darkness. King Mickey once hinted Sora would be the one who would open the door to the light, and he was right. Because of Sora, I was able to find myself again, and I think, in the end, the same thing can be said for you, too."

"The door to the light..."

Roxas turned to gaze at Sora, and shaking his head he smiled in amusement. The Keyblade Master had gotten into another argument with Donald, and the two of them were currently glaring at each other with their arms crossed over their chests.

_I guess there are just some things I'll never understand. King Mickey and a few of the others hadn't been able to see Namine when she first opened a portal like the ones the Organization used to use for mobility, but Sora, Riku, and Kairi could. I wonder why, because that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. No one appears to have any trouble seeing us now. I wonder if it's because of Sora and Kairi? As weird as it sounds, it's like the longer I'm with my original self, the more real I become in the eyes of everyone else. Instead of fading away, my existence only seems to be growing stronger. I guess it's because Sora was the one who brought me into existence, and his heart has made me real to all the other hearts that live in the realm of light. Maybe that's why everyone can see me now instead of just the people who have known Sora the longest._

"Listen, Roxas, I think the reason Sora's doing this is because, like Namine, he feels guilty about everything that's happened to you. He blames himself for all the pain you've suffered, and I can tell he really wants to make it up to you," Riku said quietly, his sudden words causing Roxas to jump in surprise. "Sora's not the type of person who'll take no for an answer, especially when his heart is really set on something. If I were you, I'd give up now while your pride is still intact and go along for the ride. It's a little embarrassing, but Sora never gives up until he does exactly what his heart is telling him to do. Sometimes it gets him into a lot of trouble, but if there's one thing I've learned about my best friend, it's the fact that there's no use trying to fight him. In the end, he always gets his way."

Roxas glanced sharply at the older boy and raised his eyebrows. "Always?"

"Always."

_I should have known. He is the Keyblade Master after all._

Riku must have sensed what he was thinking because the older boy nodded his head in Sora's direction and impatiently brushed several stray strands of silver hair out of his eyes. "Even I'm no match for Sora. The only one who seems to be able to change his mind is Kairi, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why."

_Namine..._

"Roxas, are you coming?"

Roxas turned at the sound of Sora's voice, and once again he felt his face heat up when he realized Sora was watching him. What was even more embarrassing was the fact that while Sora had been watching him, he had been watching Kairi. _I hope being an astral projection prevents my face from getting red..._

Luckily Sora didn't say anything, but despite that, Roxas had no doubt his other half knew exactly what he was thinking. _Well, it's his fault! If he weren't so...fond of Kairi, we wouldn't be in this mess! Still...I can't believe he knows..._

Obviously Sora had seen Namine place a hand against his chest, but he should have expected that. If there was one thing he had learned about being Sora's Nobody, it was the fact that he could forget trying to hide anything from the Keyblade Master. Sora _always_ knew, and sometimes that could lead to some very embarrassing situations. _Then again, it works both ways. Sora can't hide anything from me either!_

"Sora, do I really have to do this?"

Sora slowly came towards him, and dismissing Oblivion, the Keyblade Master held up his arm. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"The last one there gets to buy us some sea-salt ice cream!" Kairi teased, her fingers curling around Sora's left hand in a tight grip.

Sora stared at Kairi's fingers as if he had never seen them before, and it was all Roxas could do to prevent himself from laughing at the comical expression on his other half's face. "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I."

Sora dragged his eyes away from Kairi's hand and beamed at him. "No, you don't. Let's get going before we miss the next train."

_Why doesn't he just tell Kairi how he feels? It would make life easier for both of us if he did._

Roxas let out a sigh of defeat, and reaching out, he wrapped his fingers around the wrist Sora had offered him earlier. With a flash of blue light, he felt his consciousness slip slowly into Sora's body, and a moment later, his soul was resting comfortably within the Keyblade Master's heart.

_Sora and I might not always agree on everything, but there's one thing I have to say for him. He never treats me like I'm a useless possession or an excess piece of baggage..._

_**I heard that, Roxas. As if I would treat you as anything other than a friend.**_

_Oh, you did? Um...thanks..._

"Sunset Station, here we come!" Kairi shouted, tugging on Sora's hand and pulling the Keyblade Master down the hill towards Sunset Terrace.

Riku and the others were left to catch up on their own, with Donald complaining the whole way, and even though Sora's heart was in the right place, Roxas still couldn't help feeling a little bit uneasy.

_Hayner, Pence, Olette...how will you ever be able to open your hearts to a Nobody like me?_


	3. Familiar Faces

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, and so on...

**A/N: And here's another chapter! Now, Roxas will remain in Sora for a couple chapters here, but he'll be independent again coming up. Also, next week I will hopefully be posting my new chapter for _Sunset Dreams, _the second ****sequel to this story. As I stated before, I will eventually do a _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days_ version for the first sequel, _The Eyes of Twilight. Sunset Dreams _will only have one version due to the fact that it focuses more on the future than the past and therefore _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days _will not be as important. I will probably still take some quotes from it and refer to it in _Sunset Dreams, _but there will be nothing mega spoilerish. (Look at that I made up my own word!) Also to answer a quick question from Beth, which I'm sure others are wondering about as well, I'm not sure how much longer this version will be from the original, so I guess we'll all find out together! You will notice that these first three chapters don't have too many changes as most of the changes will occur in the latter half of the story and will most likely result in longer chapters. And now I'm done rambling. Enjoy, with new stuff and even some more cool new lines added in! This chapter is dedicated to all you Final Fantasy VI fans! Had to stick in the Setzer/gambler moments!  
**

The Way to the Heart

Chapter 3: Familiar Faces

_Sora_

_Station Plaza/ Station Heights, Twilight Town_

Walking at the head of the group, Sora pushed his way through the glass doors of Central Station, and motioning for the others to follow him, he made his way down the steps and frowned at the unusual amount of people hanging around the small area known to the citizens of Twilight Town as the Station Plaza, which was one of Twilight Town's more familiar landmarks. Strangely enough, most of the mob appeared to be female, and almost all of them were crowded around a tall man whose long, silver hair and dark, knee-length coat made him stand out like a neon sign.

_**Setzer.**_

Sora jumped at the sound of Roxas' voice inside his head, and sheepishly scratching his dark hair he smiled to himself. He was still getting used to the presence of a Nobody resting within his heart, but if there was one thing he had learned about Roxas since the two of them had merged together, it was the fact that his Nobody always gave great advice.

_It's funny, but now that Roxas and I are together, I can't imagine how I ever got along without him._

_**Good question. You and I were separated for a long time, and no offence, Sora, but I think it's probably a good thing you spent most of that time asleep!**_

_I'll remember you said that the next time I've got you pinned to the ground with Oblivion._

_**You wish. Hey, Sora, you remember Setzer, don't you?**_

Sora glanced at the silver-haired man again and slowly nodded. _How could I forget? I battled against him in a couple of struggle matches before taking on Xemnas in The World that Never Was. I even battled Seifer and Hayner. None of them could beat me._

_**I know. If you had lost, I never would have forgiven you for making us look bad! I beat Setzer to become the struggle champion in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, but in order to get to him, I had to beat Hayner and Vivi first. I guess, in the real Twilight Town, because I never competed in the tournament and Vivi never got corrupted by a Nobody, Seifer ended up beating Setzer to become the winner. Do you see what I mean, Sora? I don't exist...not in the real Twilight Town. Just a stranger passing through...  
**_

Sora frowned at the group of giggling girls, all of whom were asking for Setzer's autograph, and making a face he shook his head in denial. _I don't care what you say, Roxas. I'm partly to blame for a lot of the things that have happened to you, including the whole situation with Hayner, Pence, and Olette, and I'm going to make it up to you, no matter what._

_**You and your thick head. Fine, Sora, do what you want, but don't say I didn't warn you...**_

"I don't know what the big deal is. He's not that good-looking," Kairi muttered, nodding her head towards Setzer and wrinkling her nose. "Namine agrees with me."

In response to Kairi's sudden outburst, Donald tapped the red-haired female lightly on the arm with his staff and gave her a meaningful look. "I bet the only reason you think that is because of-"

"Donald!"

_Where's a bar of sea-salt ice cream when I need it!?_ _And you can stop laughing now, Roxas!_

_**Sorry.**_

Unable to hide his embarrassment, Sora felt his face turn red, and taking extra care not to look in Kairi's direction he quickly clapped his hand over Donald's mouth before the court wizard could say anything even more outrageous. "Ignore him, Kairi. He doesn't know what he's saying."

"I do too! Come on, Sora, I really think she likes-"

"Has anyone ever told you you have a big mouth?"

_**Can I tell him?**_

_Go ahead. Be my guest.  
_

Kairi glanced curiously at Donald, making Sora's blush all the more prominent, and shrugging her shoulders she said, "I don't know what's wrong with you boys, but if you ask me, I don't think those girls have very good taste!"

"Really?" Sora perked up immediately and blushed again when he realized Riku was smirking at him. "I mean..."

"Come on, Sora, let's go find Hayner and the others before you really make a fool out of yourself," Riku snorted in his ear.

_**He has a point, you know...**_

Ignoring Roxas, Sora allowed Riku to drag him towards Station Heights, and glancing nervously over his shoulder, he stumbled when he realized Kairi was watching him.

_I wonder what she's thinking..._

"A-hyuck! Careful, Sora, you almost tripped over your own two feet!" Goofy warned. "I thought I was the only one who did stuff like that."

Sora managed a weak smile, and once again turning his attention to the red-haired female, whose deep blue eyes were focused intently on his face, he said, "Hey, Kairi? If guys like Setzer don't interest you, then...what kind of guys do you like?"

Kairi placed her hands behind her back, and looking at him from underneath her lashes she murmured, "Well...I think you're kind of cute."

_Huh?_

_**Did she just say what I think she said? You're a lucky man, Sora. Listen, I know you probably don't want to hear this, but...why don't you just tell her how you feel?**_

_What if she doesn't feel the same way?_

_**Sora, I really don't think that's something you need to worry about. Look at all the times Kairi has done something to show you how much she cares. I know I'm still learning how to interpret other people's emotions, but...even I can see just how much she wants to be with you. I know better than anyone. Your memories aren't lying to you. Think about it. Why would Kairi bother saying something like that to you unless there was a reason for it?**_

_I don't know! Girls do all kinds of crazy things I don't understand!_

_**Sorry, Sora. I might be able to help you understand Nobodies, but I'm clueless when it comes to girls. The only female I ever had a chance to get to know very well was the simulated Olette, and she was the type of girl who thought everything was romantic, so her advice doesn't really count.**_

_What about Larxene? It took a while, but I finally gained back all of my memories of Castle Oblivion. You already knew that though, didn't you._

_**Larxene? Let's just say you did us all a favour by getting rid of her.**_

_Why did I have a feeling you were going to say that?_

_**Quit trying to change the subject! Are you going to tell Kairi how you feel, or not?**_

_You haven't given me a very good reason to._

_**Sora, I'm a Nobody. What do I know about girls and feelings?**_

_Does the name Namine ring a bell?_

Roxas immediately fell silent, and Sora smiled in satisfaction. As much as Roxas claimed to be a Nobody, he seemed to have a difficult time acting like one.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sora. Shall I call this a stroke of good luck or a gambler's nightmare? I believe you owe me a rematch. Winner takes all! Do you dare to place your chips on the table when the odds are clearly against you? In my case, I'm due for a victory, and I intend to have it!"

_What the..._

Sora jumped at the sound of a cocky male voice coming from somewhere to his left and he turned to see Setzer striding towards him, his long dark coat billowing out behind him. Somehow, the gambler had managed to separate himself from his crowd of admirers, and smiling slightly, he proceeded to shuffle a deck of cards in his hands. "Well? Have you decided on your fate yet?"

Sora blinked in surprise, and not knowing quite how to respond he pointed at himself and said, "You remember me?"

_And Roxas?_

_**"Let me win, and I'll make it worth your while..."**  
_

"Of course I remember you. It isn't everyday someone manages to defeat me in a struggle match. Your anwser will decide which way the tables will turn."

"Sora, you know this guy?" Riku asked, crossing his arms and nodding his head towards Setzer.

_Unfortunately._

_**My thoughts exactly. Then again, he wasn't so bad. In fact, now that I think about it, he would have gotten along really well with Luxord...**_

_How is that a good thing?_

_**Luxord was...well...actually pretty nice as far as the Organization goes, at least compared to some of the other members. I mean, he never treated me badly or anything, and during those times when Saix would pair us up to do missions together, we always got along pretty well. He...well you remember...**_

_Yeah, I do..._

_** "Curiosity is essential to carving your own path through life. Get too curious, though, and it'll be a short walk."**_

_**And to think my own curiosity could have been the end of me, but instead...**_

_It payed off big time. _

_**Yeah...I just wish Axel could see me now...**_

_So do I.  
_

_**"The key to carving a path through life, huh?"**_

_**"All the way to the grave..."  
**_

Gazing at the former struggle champion, Sora had to admit he looked pretty impressive in his fancy outfit, but clearly Riku was not at all impressed.

"We've met. Listen, Setzer, as much as I'd love to beat you again, I don't have time for a struggle challenge right now. How about some other time? I'm actually on my way to visit some friends right here in Twilight Town, and I don't really want to keep them waiting."

_**"Luck's like that. A window of opportunity can open and close in the blink of an eye. It's whether or not you can jump on the chance**_ _**when it arises that determines a man's fate."**_

Setzer dismissed his words with a sniff, and brushing an imaginary speak of dust off his right shoulder he sent Kairi a dazzling smile. "A pleasure to meet you, young lady. You are Sora's friend? How strange indeed. His other companions aren't so fair to look upon, if you know what I mean. A rather odd looking group, are they not?"

"Hey, watch it!" Donald shouted, lifting his staff and pointing it angrily in Setzer's direction.

Riku grabbed the court wizard's arm before he could launch a blizzard spell at the gambler, but Setzer didn't appear to notice. Instead, the former struggle champion stuck his nose in the air and he eyed Riku with something close to amusement before turning back to his cards. "I'll let you go for now, Sora, but the next time the dice are in my corner, you won't be so lucky. Do you see this deck of cards in my hand? They are not as they appear to be. Each card has its own meaning, and each one tells a story. No two cards are exactly alike. Some tell us about the future, some the present, and some the past. Tell me, Sora, would you like a glimpse into _your_ future?"

_**"Game, set, and match."**_

Before Sora could answer, Setzer once again began to shuffle the cards in his hands, and with a flick of his wrist, he chose a card from the middle of the deck and placed it face down in the Keyblade Master's hand. Sora stared at it for a moment, and after a brief hesitation, he slowly turned the card over and stared at it in silence.

It was the king of hearts.

_**Kingdom Hearts.**_

_Maybe it refers to King Mickey._

_**Maybe it refers to both.**_

Sora felt a shiver race down his spine, and reaching out, he quickly thrust the card back into Setzer's hand. "I should get going. In the meantime, you'd better practice before I take you on again."

Setzer gazed thoughtfully at the king of hearts before placing the card back in his deck, and shaking his head he said, "You are indeed a worthy challenger. I believe the future holds many mysteries for someone such as you. I wish you well on your journey. Somewhere along the line, the tables may turn against you, but Lady Luck is on your side, and you would do well to heed her words of wisdom."

_**"Don't tempt fate. You'll send Lady Luck running with talk like that."**_

Smiling slightly, Sora gazed directly into Setzer's eyes, and with a flash of light he summoned a Keyblade into his hand.

A Keyblade that was, ironically enough, called Lady Luck.

"I know. So far, she's never let me down. Don't worry, Setzer, I've already learned my lesson the hard way. I don't intend on making the same mistakes again."

_**Neither do I.**_

"Very wise, indeed," Setzer murmured, studying the Keyblade. "Good luck to you then."

"Thanks."

Shivering slightly, Sora suddenly felt Kairi's fingers slip into his hand, and the warmth of her touch immediately eased the fear still lurking in the corners of his heart. "Come on, guys, let's go."

"Sora, do you really think Setzer's cards can tell the future?" Kairi whispered quietly in his ear.

Sora shrugged his shoulders, and pulling her gently towards the entrance to Station Heights he mumbled, "I don't know what to believe anymore."

"The king of hearts," Riku murmured. "It can't just be a coincidence."

"I don't believe in all that fortune telling mumbo-jumbo," Donald scoffed.

"Gawrsh, do you think it might refer to the King?" Goofy asked.

Sora sighed and shook his head. "Can we please talk about something else?"

_**So much for being in a good mood. Does this mean we get to go back to Destiny Islands now?**_

_Nice try, Roxas, but the answer is still no. Listen, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Just before leaving Destiny Islands, you told me I made a good Other. You've said those same words to me before. Does that mean we really did fight against each other when...you know...after Axel opened the portal?_

_**"Wh-who are you?"**_

_**"Someone from the dark."**_

_**"You can't be Riku?"**_

_**"Riku? ...I defeated a Riku once."**_

_**"You what?"**_

_**"Tell me...Tell me why he picked you! I see. That's why."  
**_

_**Yes. I don't know how, but...it really did happen.**_

_Why, Roxas? Why did you fight against me?_

_**"You make a good Other..."**  
_

_**I wanted to test you.**_

_Huh?_

_**Think about it. How were you ever going to defeat Xemnas if you couldn't even beat me?**_

_Oh, I guess I never thought of it that way before._

_**It's not just that, though. **_

_What?  
_

_**You'll see soon enough. Hey, Sora? When you do finally meet up with Hayner and the others, I want you to tell them the truth about me. The whole truth. I want them to know everything about my past, including the fact that I was a member of the Organization, but most of all, I want them to know I'm a Nobody. If they really do remember me, whether it's from the real Twilight Town or the fake one, and they truly are my friends, then they will accept me for who and what I am. If not, then I'll know the truth. I'm tired of all the secrets and lies. No more. If you can forgive me for all the things I did in the past, then there's no reason why they shouldn't know the truth. I hope they can find it in their hearts to accept me, just like you did.**_

_We'll tell them together. And by the way, you were the one who needed to forgive me, not the other way around. And plus, maybe it's time you learned to forgive yourself.  
_

_**Whatever you say, Sora. Now, the question is, will they remember me enough to care?**_

_Roxas, don't you understand? There's a weak link in every chain, but in your case the link hasn't been broken. It's been removed entirely. _

_**Sora, I...**_

_It's simple, Roxas, you're the missing link in their chain of memories. You understand what that means, don't you? It's up to you now to fill that empty void and make the chain whole again._

_**But...how?**_

_By opening their hearts. Hey, isn't that the tower where you used to sit with Axel?_

Sora gestured vaguely in the direction of the station and he laughed when he realized he could literally feel Roxas smiling in his heart.

_**It is. You get a great view of Twilight Town from up there.**_

_I bet. It's funny, but I never knew two Nobodies could be such good friends._

_**You remember, don't you.**_

_Of course I do. Now that we're together, your memories are my memories and my memories are your memories. I don't remember all of your memories yet. There are still a lot of holes, especially when it comes to the time you spent with the Organization, but they're slowly coming back to me. Not to mention I can hear all of your thoughts when you're inside me. How do you think I found out about Namine?_

_**I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, it works both ways, remember?**_

Sora glanced at the Station Tower looming above Twilight Town and he smiled softly to himself. _I remember._

_**Soon, we'll remember everything about each other. I guess it's because our memories are slowly becoming one memory instead of two separate ones, and I'm pretty sure this whole thing started when we merged together. Listen, Sora, before you do learn everything about me, I...**_

_What is it, Roxas?_

_**Uh...nothing. It's not important.**_

"Which way should we go, Sora?" Goofy asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Sora jerked his head up in surprise and he grinned sheepishly at his friends when he realized they were all staring impatiently at him. Clearly they had been waiting a little longer than necessary for an answer, but he had been too busy talking to Roxas to notice. "Why don't we go through the back alley? If we take the long route and go through the Sandlot, we might end up running into Seifer's gang, and that's something I definitely want to avoid."

"Sounds good to me," Donald said, pointing his staff towards the back alley.

Sora was about to follow the court wizard when the sound of footsteps coming from somewhere ahead of him caught his attention. Turning, he glanced at the path where the road split to enter either the Tram Common or the Sandlot, and letting out a soft groan he spotted Seifer, followed by Fuu, Rai, and Vivi, heading towards them from the entrance to the Sandlot.

"It looks like we've got company," Riku muttered, crossing his arms and gazing suspiciously at Seifer.

_**Uh oh...**_

Sora placed his arms behind his head, and making a face he let out a small sigh.

_Great, just what we needed._

_**You're the one who got us into this mess in the first place, and if you think I'm going to help you get yourself out of it, forget it. You're on your own, buddy.**_

_Gee, thanks.  
_

_**Hey, ex-member of Organization XIII here. I can be evil when I want to be.**_

Sora snorted loudly, and leaning close to Riku, he elbowed the older boy in the ribs and nodded his head in Seifer's direction. "Careful, he's quick."

"I'll be sure to remember that."

"Is that Seifer?" Kairi asked curiously, eyeing the four newcomers with interest and pointing towards the blond leading the pack.

Goofy held up his shield in a defensive position and stepping closer to Kairi's side he said anxiously, "The one wearing the long, white coat is Seifer. He's head of the Disciplinary Committee in Twilight Town, but if you ask me, I think he spends more time causing trouble than he does settling disputes."

"We can take him." Donald said confidently.

Sora sent the court wizard a disapproving look and crossing his arms he said firmly, "Let's hope we don't have to, and don't even think about encouraging him, Donald!"

So far Seifer hadn't spotted them yet, despite the fact that the area of Twilight Town known as Station Heights was made up of narrow streets and tall buildings, which made hiding a challenge, but Sora knew if they attempted to make a run for the back alley, the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee would be on their heels quicker than a Heartless.

_Now what are we going to do?_

_**Hiding seems like a good idea right about now. **_

_I thought you said you weren't going to help me._

_**This little voice inside my head keeps telling me I should. I think people with hearts call it a conscience.**_

_Cut the Nobody act! You can't fool me!_

_**And Xigbar thought I couldn't take a joke.**_

After assaulting several people along the way, Seifer's group proceeded to head towards Central Station. Sora attempted to hustle his friends towards a good hiding spot, but before he could get them to understand what he was trying to do, Seifer spotted him, and the blond immediately halted. Poor Vivi ended up stumbling into Seifer's legs, but the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee didn't seem to notice. Instead, Seifer's bright blue eyes narrowed into a frown, and he tightened his grip on the sword in his hand, which appeared to be the type of weapon the residents of Twilight Town used when participating in a struggle match.

Sora hung his head in defeat, and motioning for the others to follow him, he plastered what he hoped was a convincing smile on his face and made his way over to the four people he had been hoping to avoid.

_**They're not all bad. I've always liked Vivi. It's a shame he got stuck with some pretty lame friends. He could of joined our group, if he had wanted to, but for some strange reason he actually seems to like Seifer. Who knew friendship could be so complicated?**_

_That's what happens when you have a heart._

_**Is it worth it?**_

_You tell me. Besides, you'll find out soon enough. Not that you don't already know._

_**Oh, thanks! That makes it all **_**so**_** much clearer!**  
_

"Is there a problem?" Riku asked mildly, his aquamarine eyes taking in Seifer's weapon before focusing on the blond's face.

"Useless," Fuu smirked, tossing her head.

Seifer ignored Riku, and Sora jumped when the blond suddenly glanced in his direction and let out a sound of disgust. "Oh, it's you. Haven't you caused enough trouble in this town already?"

_**Hey! That was low!**_

Sora could feel his Nobody's anger surging through his veins, but somehow he managed to keep it under control, along with his own, and frowning he glanced at the crowd starting to gather around them. It looked like Station Heights had become a battle ground, at least as far as Seifer was concerned.

_We'll never see Hayner and the others at this rate!_

"What do you think, Rai?" Seifer smirked, crossing his arms. "These five look like they're up to no good. As members of the Disciplinary Committee, I believe it's our duty to teach them a lesson."

"You're the boss, Seifer. Do you want me to take out the pretty boy with the long hair?"

Riku's aquamarine eyes narrowed into angry slits, and taking a step forward he said threateningly, "I'd reconsider, if I were you."

"You don't scare me. Come on, Seifer, let's run them out of town, y'know? Fuu can deal with the girl."

"Easy," Fuu snorted, dismissing Kairi with a wave of her hand.

Sora placed a protective arm around Kairi's shoulders and glaring at the smirking trio he snapped, "Don't you three have anything better to do with your time?"

Before Seifer could answer, Vivi suddenly stepped forward, and shuffling his feet he tipped his tattered hat in a gesture of welcome. "Hello, Sora. I remember you. Welcome back to Twilight Town. We never really got to know each other very well, but Hayner told me all about you. Have you come to visit him?"

"Vivi!" Seifer snarled, glaring at the younger boy.

Vivi meekly lowered his bright eyes to the ground, and letting out a small gasp he quickly scurried behind Fuu in order to avoid Seifer's wrath.

"Well, at least someone around here has some manners!" Kairi sniffed.

"Let me at them!" Donald shouted, the tip of his staff crackling with the beginnings of a thunder spell.

Sora grabbed Donald's arm to prevent the court wizard from performing magic and smiled at Vivi. "It's been a while since I've seen Hayner and the others, and I have some friends I want to introduce to them. You could come with, if you want."

"Vivi's staying with us!" Seifer snapped. "So you've come to visit Hayner, have you? He's such a chicken wuss. Well, if you want to see him and the rest of his dorky friends, you're going to have to go through us first! Now kneel loser, or I will make you kneel!"

Sora raised his eyebrows, and placing his hands behind his head he turned to look at his best friend. "Hey, Riku, think we can take him?"

Riku jerked his thumb in Seifer's direction and let out a snort. "What, this guy? Hardly a challenge. I've seen Heartless with more spine than blondie here."

_**If Riku ever calls me that, I will beat him over the head with his own Keyblade!**_

"I'd like to see you try!" Seifer growled, completely unaware of the commentary being provided by Roxas.

Sora thrust the sharp end of Oblivion into Seifer's face before the head of the Disciplinary Committee even had a chance to blink, and Riku's Way to the Dawn followed a split second later. Seifer stared at the two Keyblades in astonishment, and letting out a startled shout he quickly backed away before Sora could poke him in the nose with Oblivion.

"You were saying?" Riku smirked, twirling his Keyblade in a circle and pointing it straight at Seifer's heart.

Seifer swallowed hard and waved his hand at Oblivion. "Your sword. You used a weird sword like that to kill those...those things. What is it?"

_**A Keyblade, you moron!**_

Sora ran his hands lightly over Oblivion's dark surface, and swinging it deftly in his hand he said mildly, "It's called a Keyblade. Remember the name if you ever lose your heart and need to find it again."

"Come on, Seifer. Let's get out of here, y'know?" Rai muttered, tugging on the blond's arm.

"Now!" Fuu ordered.

Seifer hesitated a moment before nodding his head and the thoughtful look on his face turned into a sneer. "I'm not done with you yet, Sora. You might be able to beat me in a struggle match, but that doesn't mean I can't take you in a real battle. You're really strong, I'll give you that much, even if it pains me to admit it. After all, I was the one who named you the strongest guy in Twilight Town, but I've become a better fighter since then, so you'd better not get too cocky. Next time, you might be the one lying on the ground instead of me. I'll let you pass through Twilight Town without a fight, this time, but if I catch you causing trouble again, you're going to have to answer to me, understand?"

"Whatever."

_**"Axel will stop at nothing to turn you into a Heartless..."**_

Seifer glared at him one last time before stalking off towards Central Station, Fuu, Rai, and Vivi trailing behind. Only Vivi waved to them in farewell, and Sora was quick to answer it with a wave of his own.

"Sora, you sure know some strange people," Riku said, shaking his head and dismissing his impressive Keyblade with a wave of his hand.

Sora smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it."

Seifer's long, white coat streamed out behind him in the gentle breeze swirling around Station Heights, but despite the confidence radiating from his body, he did not look back.

"I could have taken him!" Donald complained.

_**The real Twilight Town isn't so different from the simulation Ansem created for me to live in. Seifer's still a jerk and Vivi's still getting pushed around. You should have let Donald blast them with a magic spell. That would have taught Seifer a lesson! Seriously, Sora, you don't have to take that kind of attitude from people like him!**_

Sora felt rather flattered by the fact that Roxas was clearly insulted for his sake, but at the moment he didn't have time to embarrass his Nobody. The crowd that had been gawking at them earlier had immediately dispersed after Seifer's grand exit, but even so, he could still feel the residents of Twilight Town watching him and whispering behind his back.

"So much for not causing a scene. Let's go find Hayner."

"Namine says to lead the way," Kairi murmured softly in his ear.

Sora smiled at his female friend, and taking her hand, he motioned for the others to head for the back alley. Deep within the Keyblade Master's heart, Roxas had finally managed to gain control of his anger, but unfortunately it had been replaced by fear.

_Everything will work out, you'll see._

_**Speak for yourself.**_

_Don't you trust me?_

_**Of course I do. It's myself I don't trust.**_

_But...you are me._

_**You know what I mean.**_

Sora dismissed Oblivion with a sigh and placed a hand against his heart. The best part about having friends was finding ways to make them smile, and despite what Namine had said earlier, in his opinion Roxas didn't smile often enough.

_Hey, Roxas? If Hayner's anything like Riku, he'll understand._

_**I guess we'll find out.**_

_I guess we will._

The words sounded convincing enough, but despite his confidence, Sora could not help wondering if maybe he had made a mistake. _What if I am wrong? What if Hayner and the others don't remember?_


	4. Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Simple as that!

**A/N: We're up to chapter number four! Again, all the quotes in this story are from _Kingdom Hearts II_ and _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days._ The _Chain of Memories_ ones come in the second story. Not much to say here other than I hope that all of you old readers enjoy the new content and all you new readers enjoy the whole chapter! Thanks so much for taking the time to review. Your feedback really does inspire me to continue improving and to continue writing all of the characters to the best of my ability. Enjoy! Also, next week hopefully will be the new chapter for Sunset Dreams. Chapter three of that story is half written and yeah, it's all about the moogles, you know? *cough* Er...moving on...**

The Way to the Heart

Chapter 4: Reunion

_Sora_

_The Usual Spot, Twilight Town_

Sora came to a stop in front of the small building tucked under the tracks that Hayner and the others used for a hangout, and taking a deep breath, he stared unseeingly at the burgundy curtain covering the doorway, his mind wandering back to the conversation he had shared with Roxas on Destiny Islands. Now that he had finally arrived at his destination, he could not help feeling just a little bit nervous for the sake of his Nobody.

_**Oh, thanks! Don't tell me you're getting cold feet! And what was that last thought all about? You have some explaining to do, Sora! I thought you were trying to make me feel better, but all you've done is make me feel even worse!**_

_Sorry about that, but your pessimistic attitude is starting to rub off on me._

_**Right, so now it's **_**my**_** fault you're beginning to second-guess yourself. And you had the nerve to accuse me of being insensitive!**_

_Roxas, will you stop complaining and let me help you?_

Roxas immediately stopped talking, and Sora blinked in surprise at the sudden silence in his head.

_Roxas? Are you there?_

_**Sora, I...I'm sorry. It's just...I'm not used to people wanting to help me. Axel was the only member of the Organization who ever even tried. The others...sometimes they pretended to help, but in reality all they wanted was to manipulate me. I was their pawn, their tool. I'm not going to lie to myself. I know now what role I was supposed to play as a member of the Organization. Sora's Nobody. Their key to Kingdom Hearts...  
**_

_What about Hayner, Pence, and Olette?_

_**Of course they helped me, even in the real Twilight Town. Well...like I said before, Pence sort of did, but when it comes to the fake Twilight Town, I...how do I know if that was really real or not? I know it's stupid, but I guess I'm scared to find out.**_

_Well, I'm going to help you. Doesn't that count for anything?_

_**No wonder Hayner and the others like you so much.**_

_I have you to thank for that._

_**Huh?**_

Sora crossed his arms and smiled to himself. _Think about it long enough and you'll figure it out._

"Hey, Sora, is Roxas ready to go?" Kairi asked, tapping him on the shoulder and giving him an inquiring look.

Sora shrugged his shoulders, and motioning for the others to follow him, he nodded his head towards the door to the usual spot and said, "He's as ready as he'll ever be. Come on, let's get this over with before we end up having to deal with any more interruptions."

"It's your fault, Sora. You should learn not to make an impression on everyone you meet," Riku smirked.

Sora ignored his best friend, and holding his head high, he entered the usual spot with a flourish, his Keyblade resting comfortably on his shoulders. Unfortunately for him, he had forgotten to look where he was going upon entering the room, and before he could even make it all the way through the door, he ended up stumbling directly into Olette. Somehow, he managed to grab onto the pretty brunette's shoulders before she could tumble over backwards onto the floor, but despite his efforts to avoid injuring himself or his female friend, he accidentally banged his chin off the top of Olette's head.

Surprisingly enough, the female resident of Twilight Town didn't appear to notice. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug and buried her face against his chest. "Sora, you're alive! Where have you been all this time? We thought something bad might have happened to you when you didn't appear back in the mansion after going to that other Twilight Town. It's so good to see you again! Why didn't you come back here a long time ago and let us know how you were doing?"

Sora smiled at his female friend, and although he could not help feeling a little bit embarrassed by Olette's reaction, he returned her hug with enthusiasm. "I'm really sorry about that. It's not like I didn't want to come see you guys again, especially after everything that happened, but there were a few things I needed to do first."

"I take it everything worked out the way you wanted it to?" Pence asked hopefully.

_**"So, you said you were passing by. Does that mean you have to head off soon? Because if not..."**_

Sora gently let go of Olette, and moving over to wrap his arm around Pence's shoulders he said cheerfully, "Actually, things worked out even better than I thought they would. It's good to see you again, Pence. You really helped me out back at the mansion."

_And you really helped Roxas and Axel out, too._

_**Sora...**_

_You know, Roxas...Sometimes your memories make me feel really happy, but sometimes they can also make me feel really sad...Like that time when I had to say goodbye to Hayner, Pence, and Olette. And Axel...  
_

_**And here I thought I was the only one. Have you forgotten already? Your memories make me feel the same way. How many times did I wake up crying over memories that weren't even my own...**_

_They're your memories now._

_**Just like mine are yours.**_

_Which means even though some of our memories might make us sad, we at least have someone to share that sadness with._

_**And someone who will always be there to share the happy ones, too.**_

_Roxas...  
_

Pence blushed at the unexpected praise, and nervously scratching his head he said sheepishly, "It was nothing. I'm just glad you're still in one piece."

"And he's not the only one. Good to see you didn't end up getting yourself killed."

_**Hayner...**_

Sora jumped at the sound of Hayner's voice, and whirling around he spotted the other boy leaning up against the wall near the dart board with his arms crossed over his chest. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and it was all Sora could do to keep his emotions under control.

_No, not my emotions. Roxas, will you please calm down before you make me look like a crazy person?_

_**Sorry. **_

Roxas' voice was just barely above a whisper inside his head, and reaching out with the strength of his heart, Sora put all of his efforts into what he hoped was a successful attempt to comfort his Nobody.

_Just hang in there a little bit longer, okay?_

_**I'll...try. Sora, you don't know how good it feels just to see their faces and hear their voices, even if they don't realize I'm right here with them. It might be the only thing I'll ever have when it comes to old friends.**_

_Not if I can help it._

Sora managed to plaster what he hoped was a cheerful smile on his face, and reaching out to clasp Hayner's hand, he said playfully, "Hey, I think I deserve a little more credit than that."

_**How is it possible that the real Hayner and the fake Hayner can be so much alike...**_

Pushing away from the wall, Hayner punched him lightly in the shoulder, and giving him a warm smile the blond struggler said lightly, "So, you're back. Took you long enough to come and visit us. Pence and Olette were really worried about you, but I knew you would get the job done."

"Get real, Hayner! You were more worried about Sora than Pence and I were combined!" Olette snorted.

"I was not!"

Sora laughed at the embarrassed look on Hayner's face and leaning around the blond struggler he gave Olette a quick hug. "You haven't changed at all, Olette. I'm just as glad to see you as I am to see Pence."

"Same to you, Sora."

"Hey, what about me?" Hayner grumbled.

Sora poked Hayner in the chest, and raising his eyebrows he gave the other boy a sly smile. "Of course I'm glad to see you. Does this mean I get to wipe the floor with you in another struggle match?"

"Not a chance!"

"You sure? Well, in that case, would you care to take on a couple of my friends?"

_**I bet I could beat Hayner twice in a row, but I'm more interested to see him in a struggle battle against Riku. You are talking about Riku, aren't you?**_

_Who else, but I was talking about you, too._

_**Oh, right...**_

Hayner's face suddenly turned serious, and before Sora could ask him what was wrong, he felt the blond struggler pull him towards the old couch sitting against the wall on the right-hand side of the room. Disoriented, he frowned in confusion, but before he could open his mouth, Hayner held up a hand for silence and he allowed the other boy to rest a hand against his shoulder. "Hey, Sora, since you're back and everything, does that mean you were able to find Kairi and Riku?"

Sora glanced around Hayner's shoulder, and smiling softly at his two friends, who were standing hesitantly in the doorway with Donald and Goofy, he gave them both a meaningful look, the expression on his face conveying all they needed to know about how he was feeling at the moment. In response, they smiled back at him, and nudging Hayner gently in the ribs he said, "In case you didn't notice, I brought a few friends along."

"Hey, guys," Kairi said softly, beaming at the surprised trio who had only just now noticed the presence of four other people standing in the room.

Olette immediately flung herself at Kairi, and burying her face against the red-haired female's shoulder she let out a squeal of delight. "Kairi, you're safe! We were worried sick about you after that creepy red-haired guy kidnapped you right under our noses!"

"Yeah..." Pence agreed, a thoughtful look appearing suddenly on his face.

_**Creepy red-haired guy? Hey, that's one of my best friends she's talking about! Thanks a lot, Olette!**_

Somehow Sora managed to keep a straight expression on his face, and turning his attention to Kairi, it was all he could do to suppress a sudden fit of laughter. "You know I would never have let anything bad happen to you, but I definitely had some help. If it weren't for Riku, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Donald, Goofy, and so many others, I might not have been able to find you."

"But you did, and that's the only thing that matters to me," Kairi said, smiling at him and pulling Olette into a warm hug.

_**Don't forget, Sora, you had Namine's help, too, and we can't forget about the King either.  
**_

_Trust me, I haven't forgotten. Hey, don't tell me you're still going on about Axel. Olette didn't mean to insult him. No offense, Roxas, but you really need to learn how to control your temper!_

_**Oh, thanks! Come on, Sora, what do you expect? I'm offended for his sake. Man, as much as I hate to admit it, Ansem was right. You are far too nice for your own good!**_

_Hey! What's wrong with that?_

_**Nothing! Everything! Look, now do you understand why I couldn't help myself?**_

_What? Sorry, Roxas, but you've totally lost me._

_**Figures. You know, Ansem told me I should share some of my anger with you. Do you know what I said to him in response?**_

_Something really rude or totally uncalled for? That's what Riku's response would have been._

_**I told him my heart belonged to me.**_

_Really? Huh...That particular memory of yours definitely hasn't reached me yet._

_**Aren't you going to say anything?**_

_What do you want me to say? In the end, you were the one who was right, not Ansem. Trust me, Roxas, your heart isn't going anywhere._

_**Sora...**_

Sora wisely kept silent, and smiling to himself he turned his attention back to Kairi and Olette. He could tell Roxas needed a little time to absorb their undeniably meaningful conversation, and he was content to give his golden-haired Nobody that time and a little bit of space if it meant the other boy would start acting a little more like the Roxas he had come to know so well. When Roxas was upset, it always affected him, too, and right now he had enough things to worry about.

"Hey, what's with you all of a sudden?" Hayner suddenly asked Pence, frowning and elbowing the other boy in the ribs.

Jumping in surprise, Pence slowly looked at the blond struggler, and scratching the back of his head he said hesitantly, "It's nothing, only...that red-haired guy..."

_**No way. Sora, you don't think...**_

_There's only one way to find out._

Without giving Roxas a chance to respond, Sora turned to Pence and said quickly, "What about him?"

"Nothing. It's just...you know...Now that I think back on that day, he seemed kind of...familiar, that's all."

"Really?"

"This might sound a little bit crazy, but...I feel like I've seen him before somewhere..."

_**Pence...**_

_Well, it looks like they might at least remember the real Twilight Town. That's a start, right?_

_**Maybe, but what about the fake Twilight Town...**_

"You're right, Pence, that does sound crazy," Hayner snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Seriously, what are you talking about? We've never seen that guy before."

"Maybe _you_ haven't, but..."

"Get real. You're imagining things."

"Maybe..."

_**"Hey, I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Pence. If you ever need anything, I'm always happy to help.**_"

_**"Um, thanks."**_

_**"Sure, I'll catch you later."**_

"Anyways, Kairi, I'm so glad you and Sora were able to find each other again. That's so romantic!" Olette sighed, clasping her hands together and gazing at the ceiling with a dreamy look on her face. Hayner let out a loud groan, which Olette completely ignored, and Sora felt his cheeks turn pink.

_**See what I mean? I told you she thinks everything is romantic.**_

_Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?_

_**I think your face is on fire. Too bad you had to get rid of Demyx. He could have solved your problem.**_

_No thanks. I think I'll just get Donald to hit me with a blizzard spell._

"Well, Sora? What do you think?" Kairi asked, smiling brightly at him.

"Uh...about what?"

"About the fact that we were able to find each other again. I think it was kind of romantic."

_**I knew it. See, Sora? You should listen to me more often.**_

Sora did not even bother trying to come up with a response. Instead, he stared stupidly at his female friend, and blushing he quickly snapped his mouth shut when he realized he was gawking at her like a fish with its mouth hanging open.

_What just...happened here?_

Lucky for him, Hayner chose that moment to interrupt, and he gave the other boy a grateful smile. He'd already done enough embarrassing things for one day, and thanks to Hayner, he was spared the horror of having to say something that more than likely would have sounded incredibly stupid.

"It's a good thing Sora found you otherwise we never would have forgiven him," Hayner joked, standing up and moving over to wrap his arm around Kairi's shoulders.

Kairi laughed at the mischievous look on Hayner's face, and sliding her arm around the blond's waist in a tight hug she said softly, "I really missed you guys."

"Same here," Pence said cheerfully, moving over to stand next to Olette.

Kairi gave the shorter boy a hug, as well, and nodding her head towards the door she said with a smile, "I'm not the only person Sora was able to find."

After a brief hesitation, Riku slowly stepped further into the room, his aqua eyes coming to rest on the Twilight Town trio, and looking cool and aloof he leaned against the wall next to the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, an unreadable expression on his face. The older boy's intense gaze immediately caught Hayner's attention, but before the blond could say anything, Pence elbowed him lightly in the ribs and the two of them turned to look at Olette. The female resident of Twilight Town was staring at Riku with her mouth hanging open and there was a strange, almost humorous, look on her face. Apparently Riku didn't seem to notice, though, because Sora watched his best friend take a moment to study the curiosity in Hayner's eyes and the eager expression on Pence's face before turning back to Olette. As soon as Olette realized Riku was staring at her, her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, and she lowered her eyes to the ground.

_**Um...that was...interesting...**_

_I'll say. Olette doesn't usually get this weird, does she? I wonder what's gotten into her._

_**Uh...Sora? Maybe we just don't want to know.**_

_But..._

"You must be Olette," Riku said smoothly, smiling slightly and holding out his hand. "Sora told me a lot about you and your friends. Hayner and Pence, right?"

Hayner nodded slowly, and studying Riku's face he said nonchalantly, "That's right. Sora and Kairi are our friends, too. We had to do something to help them."

_**"Hey, are you all right? What happened?"**_

_**"We came here looking for Kairi. Then those white things attacked us..."**_

_**"You gotta be careful!"  
**_

_**"Yeah, you guys didn't have to go and do that."**_

_**"Of course we did. Kairi's our friend, too, ya know."**_

_**"You're right...You know, I never thought about it like that before."  
**_

"I know. This is going to sound a little weird, but...I'm glad I finally get a chance to meet the three of you. Sora and I might not have been able to do what we did without your help."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you're welcome, I guess," Pence said slowly, looking a little confused.

Olette slipped her fingers into Riku's palm, and smiling shyly at the older boy she said hesitantly, "You're...Riku, right? You must be Riku. Sora told us a little bit about you just before he went to that other Twilight Town and we've been wanting to meet you ever since. Actually, maybe that's not really true. I think Sora told us more than he realized because I understand now why he was so intent on finding you."

Sora stared at Olette in surprise, and frowning slightly, he moved over to stand next to his best friend's side. "You really think that?"

"Of course we do. Right, Pence?"

Pence smiled at Riku and nodded. "Anybody who's a friend of Sora's is a friend of ours."

_**If only...**_

_Roxas..._

Riku slowly let go of Olette's hand and raised his eyebrows. "That easy, huh?"

"Of course," Hayner interrupted, lifting his chin and poking Riku sharply in the chest. "You're lucky to have a best friend like Sora. I wish..."

"What's wrong, Hayner?" Kairi asked, her voice full of concern.

Hayner muttered something under his breath, and avoiding the red-haired female's eyes he quickly shook his head. "Nothing. Just forget it."

_**I'm right here, Hayner. You do have a best friend like Sora...**_

_And I'm going to make sure he realizes it!_

Sora suddenly felt Riku's arm go around his shoulders, and he turned to gaze at his best friend in surprise. "What's up, Riku?"

Riku ignored him and gave Hayner a surprisingly sympathetic smile. "Trust me, I know how lucky I am."

_Riku..._

_**Riku's not the only one who's lucky. You are too, Sora.**_

_I know. I've known that ever since the very first day I met Riku._

Hayner nodded in satisfaction, and placing a hand on Riku's shoulder he said cheerfully, "In that case, welcome to the club."

_**What? That easy!? Hayner gave me more of a rough time in the real Twilight Town than that! Talk about not being fair!**_

"It never hurts to have more friends," Pence agreed, pulling Riku down on the couch and motioning for everyone to take a seat. "You guys are welcome to come here anytime."

"And you'd better make use of our offer because it's not everyday we let someone into the usual spot," Hayner warned. "If you guys don't come and visit us a lot, you're in big trouble!"

"Donald! Goofy! You guys are here too? It's so good to see you again!" Olette laughed, pushing Hayner out of the way and throwing her arms around Donald in a warm hug. Donald let out a loud 'quack' of surprise, but before he could say anything, Olette turned to Goofy and beamed at the captain of the King's royal guards. "I admit we were a little worried, but I had a feeling you and Donald were going to do a great job of keeping Sora safe, even if it meant following him into some creepy alternate version of Twilight Town."

"Gawrsh...thanks, Olette, but you know we never would have let anything happen to Sora."

"I know."

"Friends look out for each other no matter what kind of danger they're in," Donald said firmly.

**_Friends..._**

Sora felt suddenly warm inside, and placing his arms behind his head he beamed at his two companions. "Thanks, guys. Even after all this time, you've never let me down, and I promise I'll do my best to return the favour."

"A-hyuck, you don't have to do that, Sora," Goofy said rather shyly, fiddling with the shiny shield in his hands.

Sora smiled slightly and shook his head. "No, but I want to."

"Where's the King?" Olette asked, giving Goofy a quick hug and glancing curiously around the room in hopes of spotting the elusive ruler of Disney Castle.

Donald made himself comfortable on the floor, and using the tip of his staff to scratch an itch between his shoulder blades he said shortly, "His Majesty went back to Disney Castle with a friend of ours named Jiminy Cricket."

"We had the honour of escorting the King with the use of our Gummi Ship," Goofy said proudly, sitting down next to Donald.

"Who else?" Pence muttered, smiling slightly and leaning over to place a hand on Goofy's shoulder. "Twilight Town just isn't the same without you and Donald."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Donald asked suspiciously.

Pence exchanged a look with Riku and shrugged his shoulders. "It was a compliment. I don't know about Hayner, but I'm definitely glad you two are still around."

"Why does everyone always try to make me look like the bad guy?" Hayner grumbled. "Of course I'm glad to see them. Does that mean everyone in Twilight Town needs to hear it?"

"Gawrsh, we're happy to see you too, Hayner!" Goofy said cheerfully.

Sora shook his head in amusement, and turning his back on the duo from Disney Castle he move over to sit next to Kairi. Hayner sat down on his other side and the three of them turned to look at the couch where Pence and Riku were sitting. Olette shyly took the seat on Riku's left, but once again the older boy didn't appear to notice.

"I take it you guys got here without any trouble?" Hayner asked, frowning slightly.

Sora shifted slightly so the two of them were facing each other, and shrugging his shoulders he managed a weak grin. "Not exactly. We had a bit of a run-in with Seifer's gang, but I'm not complaining. At least there aren't any Nobodies or Heartless hanging around, and best of all there aren't any members of the Organization causing trouble either."

"In that case, forget Seifer." Hayner dismissed the blond struggler with a snort, and frowning slightly he turned to gaze thoughtfully at the door. "Nobodies? Heartless? The Organization? No offense, Sora, but aside from rescuing Riku and Kairi, you never did tell us all that much about what was really going on with you. Those white things that attacked us...they were Nobodies, weren't they? And the King did mention something about a guy named Ansem and a group called Organization XIII..."

_**"This is the other Twilight Town. Roxas's Twilight Town..."**_

_Oh right. I guess I have a lot of explaining to do._

_**Better you than me.**_

_Sorry, Roxas, but don't you remember what I told you earlier? You and I are going to explain everything together. _

_**I was afraid you were going to say that.**_

"Sora-"

Sora cut Hayner off with a wave of his hand, and leaning back against the wall with his arms behind his head he said quietly, "I'll get to that later. First, there's something I need to ask you, but before I do that, I'd better give you guys an explanation about what happened at the old mansion. That alternate Twilight Town where Riku got Olette's munny pouch and the blue jewel from before giving them to the King was actually a simulation of the real Twilight Town created by a man named Ansem the Wise."

"So...the computer in the mansion belonged to Ansem, right?" Olette asked. "At least, that's the impression I got earlier when Pence asked you guys for a password. Remember, he couldn't access any other screens on the computer without one."

Riku nodded slowly and frowned at the ceiling. "That's right. Ansem used that computer to create a simulation of the original Twilight Town within Sora's memories."

"I think I get it," Hayner muttered, scratching his dark blond head in confusion. "That other Twilight Town is a copy of the one we live in. So...what exactly do you want to know?"

Sora hesitated, and he blushed when he suddenly felt Kairi give his hand an encouraging squeeze. He glanced quickly around the room to see if anyone else had noticed, but surprisingly enough no one appeared to be watching him. Thankfully, the others were too caught up in the conversation to pay much attention to him, and with a sigh of relief, he allowed his mind to once again focus on Hayner. "What ever happened to Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town?"

"You mean...you don't know?"

"Huh?" Sora frowned at Hayner and turned to look at Pence. "What..."

"Uh...Sora, the entrance to Ansem's Twilight Town in the old mansion disappeared," Pence mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

"What?"

_**Why are you surprised? I'm not. I think a part of me knew all along it would disappear. The Hayner, Pence, and Olette I knew really are gone forever...**_

_No! It doesn't matter. Your friends are right here! These three are the same people! The people you met in the real Twilight Town!  
_

_**Now it really is as if I never existed...I'll always be that creepy kid in the dark coat. If they even remember that much...  
**_

_Roxas! Just...stop, please?_

_**Why? You know I'm right.  
**_

"Sora, that's one of the reasons why we were so worried about you," Pence said quietly, interrupting his thoughts. "We thought you might have ended up getting stuck in that fake Twilight Town forever."

"No way!" Donald snorted.

"I wonder why it disappeared," Kairi said thoughtfully.

"It was no longer needed," Riku murmured. "The only reason it even existed in the first place was to stop the Organization from finding the _Key of Destiny. _Sora needed time to regain all of his memories back before he could become whole again, and in order for that to happen, Ansem needed to keep Sora's other half as far away from the Organization as possible. That's why the Key of Destiny was given a fabricated identity, and that's why any memories revolving around Organization XIII were omitted. Basically, it was a safe haven for Number XIII."

_**For me, the Key of Destiny.**_

"I bet it disappeared just after we defeated Xemnas. More than likely Ansem programmed it that way."

"Riku's right," Kairi sighed, her bright blue eyes coming to rest on Pence. "If you want to know the truth, Pence, Sora wasn't in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town for very long."

"He...wasn't? Well, then where was he? Who is Xemnas, and what do you mean by Sora's 'other half'?"

"After entering Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, Sora ended up travelling to a world called The World That Never Was. That's where I was being held captive, and that's where Riku was too."

"What? You're kidding!" Hayner shouted at the top of his lungs. "What kind of weirdo gives a world a name like 'The World That Never Was'?"

"Sora, I think you have a lot of explaining to do!" Olette scolded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Nodding his head in agreement, Sora slowly stood up, and without a word he moved towards the centre of the room, his deep blue eyes studying the floor beneath his feet. After a moment of hesitation, he turned to look directly at Olette and Pence before focusing his attention on Hayner, and taking a deep breath, he placed a hand against his heart. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything, but before I do, there's someone I want you to meet. He's a good friend of mine, and I think you guys might find him to be a little bit...familiar. At least, I hope you do."

_Come on, Roxas, it's now or never._

_**How about never? Sora, I...I don't think I can do this.**_

_Even when we're separated, I'm always with you. That's the power of the heart. I'm not going to let you do this alone. _

**'Can you feel Sora?'**_** That's what Riku asked me once before.**_

_I know. That's one memory of yours I do remember._

_**They all kept saying I couldn't feel you. At least not at first, but I don't believe that. I know, deep down inside, I've always been able to feel you. I've always been able to feel your heart, even if I didn't understand what that meant. I realize that now. It was your heart that led me to the old mansion, not Ansem. I...I think I'm ready now.**_

_Good, let's do this._

"You have another friend with you? Where is he?" Olette asked, glancing around the room as if expecting to see someone standing there whom she had not noticed before.

Sora smiled to himself and bowed his head. "He's right here."

A split second later Sora felt Roxas begin to slip free from his heart, and his body, starting from the place where his hand was resting gently against his heart, began to glow, illuminating the room with pale blue light. Roxas materialized beside him a little more slowly than usual, and the two of them proceeded to gaze silently at Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Sora could tell Roxas was nervous, but there was also determination in the Key of Destiny's bright blue eyes, and that made him feel a little more hopeful. Still, despite the fact that it looked as if Roxas had established some sort of control over his emotions, Sora did not hesitate to slip an arm around his Nobody's shoulders for support.

Unfortunately, he didn't get quite the reaction he had been hoping for from Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

The female resident of Twilight Town took one look at Roxas, and Sora was positive Setzer, and possibly Seifer, could hear her loud shriek all the way over at Central Station. "Look! It's a ghost!"


	5. Recognition

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, etc, etc...

**A/N: Another chapter done! Not much to say here other than to enjoy the rewrite!  
**

The Way to the Heart

Chapter 5: Recognition

_Roxas_

_The Usual Spot, Twilight Town_

_A...ghost?_

Roxas felt his face heat up, and turning to Olette, he sputtered in outrage, "A ghost? Oh, thanks! Is that what you think I am? Come on, Olette, you know me better than that!"

"I...do?"

Roxas crossed his arms over his chest, and letting out a deep sigh, he frowned at the terrified expression on his female friend's face. Olette's skin had turned pure white and she was gazing at him as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.

_She doesn't remember me, not even from the real Twilight Town. I knew this was too good to be true..._

"How...how is this even possible?" Olette whispered, her emerald green eyes travelling anxiously over his transparent body. "I can see right through you! How can you _not _be a ghost?"

"Sora, what's going on?" Pence asked hesitantly, though he looked more thoughtful than scared.

_I wonder...Does he maybe remember? He thought Axel seemed kind of familiar..._

Roxas glanced uncertainly at his other half, but Sora merely shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to lean against the wall with his arms behind his head. At first, Roxas could not understand why Sora was refusing to answer any questions, but then he realized it was because the Keyblade Master didn't want to interfere. Obviously Sora felt as if this was something that had to happen naturally for it to work, but Roxas wasn't so sure. Then again, the amount of faith Sora had in him was truly astounding, and that alone was enough to stop him from making a break for the door.

_I can't give up now. If I do, Sora will never let me hear the end of it!_

Besides, the Keyblade Master's silence was worth more than all the excuses and explanations combined.

"Are...are you sure you're not a ghost?" Pence asked curiously, an odd sort of look appearing suddenly on his face. "I mean, I don't _think_ you are, and it's not like I believe in ghosts or anything like that, but-"

"He's not a ghost."

Roxas felt his heart (if indeed Sora was correct and he actually did have a heart) leap into his throat at the sound of Hayner's firm voice, and turning his head he found himself standing face to face with the blond-haired boy who had once claimed to be his best friend. The two of them stared at each other in silence, and before he could even think about what was happening, Hayner suddenly stepped closer to him, the blond struggler's intense gaze never wavering, even for a moment. Roxas held his breath, and after a slight hesitation, Hayner slowly reached out towards him and pressed a hand against his heart. The sudden contact made him jump in surprise, and although he could not help feeling a little bit foolish, he seemed unable to take his eyes off Hayner's face. Strangely enough, the warmth of his best friend's hand resting against his chest made him feel even more real than having his own body, transparent or not, ever could.

_Hayner..._

"You're real," Hayner said quietly, not sounding the least bit surprised. "Do...do I know you?"

_What? He...he..._

Roxas froze, and unable to utter a sound, he stared at his former best friend in astonishment. Hayner had the strangest expression on his face, and the intense look in his eyes, along with his words, were enough to capture even Donald's attention. Roxas watched the court wizard drop his staff in surprise, and it hit the floor with a loud bang. Surprisingly enough, no one even twitched at the sound. Everyone had their eyes focused on Hayner, and they were all staring at the blond in shock.

_I...can't believe it..._

Somehow, Roxas was able to find his voice, and taking a step forward, he gave his former friend a hopeful look. "You remember me?"

Hayner blinked, and pulling his hand away, he scratched his head in confusion. "Roxas?"

_Wait a minute, what did he just call me? Impossible. I never told them. They never knew! Not the real Hayner, Pence, and Olette...  
_

Unable to stop himself, Roxas let out a soft gasp, and whirling around he turned to stare at Sora in complete, utter shock. Although it made no sense whatsoever, somehow Hayner knew his name, even though the Keyblade Master hadn't had a chance to mention it yet. "Sora, what..."

Sora smiled slightly, and once again he lazily shrugged his shoulders in response. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

_Good question. Why is it that he can make everything seem so simple all the time? _

"Is that really your name?" Pence asked, glancing suspiciously at Hayner. "I don't get it. I mean...we didn't know. You never..."

_Pence..._

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Roxas managed to gasp, "You remember?"

"Pence, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Olette asked hesitantly, glancing anxiously at the dark-haired boy.

"Olette...Look. Just...look at him."

"What?"

Ignoring Olette, Roxas quickly turned back to Pence, and grabbing onto the other boy's arm he said urgently, "You really remember?"

"I..." Pence hesitated, and turning his face away he mumbled, "It was you, wasn't it? You were the one who was with that other guy, but...it's not just that. I feel like I also know you from somewhere else..."

That other guy. The one who had kidnapped Kairi. Pence didn't say it, but Roxas could tell from the look on the dark-haired boy's face that that was what he was thinking.

"Pence, what the heck are you talking about?" Hayner interrupted, glaring accusingly at his dark-haired friend.

"Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Come on, Hayner! Just...try to remember," Pence urged, a pleading look on his face.

"Huh?"

Ignoring Hayner's obvious confusion, Roxas frowned at the blond-haired struggler and said firmly, "How did you know? How did you know my name?"

"Hayner, you once asked me if I was sure we had never met before. I don't know if you remember saying those words to me, but...there's something I want you to know. You were right. I guess, in a way, we did meet each other before that day I left you guys behind to catch the train," Sora interrupted, gazing directly into the blond struggler's bright blue eyes. "Funny how things work out like that."

"What? I don't get it. You're really weird, Sora, you know that?"

"I keep trying to tell him the same thing, but he's in denial," Riku smirked.

"Hey! You're not exactly all that normal yourself, Riku!"

"No kidding. He must be crazy for putting up with a best friend like you," Hayner said dryly.

Sora glared at Hayner, and crossing his arms over his chest he said indignantly, "If I'm weird then so is _your _best friend!"

"My...best friend?"

Before Sora could escape, Roxas summoned Oathkeeper, and poking his other half in the stomach with the Keyblade's sharp tip he shouted, "Oh, thanks! I'm not weird! And if I am, it's _your_ fault!"

"Hey, watch it with that thing!"

"You have a Keyblade, too?" Olette gasped, her eyes travelling over Oathkeeper's shiny surface. She looked surprised, but at the same time, Roxas couldn't help noticing the way she was also staring at him with an odd sort of expression on her face, one that resembled something close to recognition, as if she were only now beginning to realize that he was not, in fact, a ghost, but someone who looked familiar.

A face from the past that she had almost forgotten.

Roxas slowly lowered the Keyblade to his side, and glancing at his other half, he smiled to himself. Sora was rubbing his stomach and muttering something under his breath, but that only made Roxas smile even more. He loved catching the Keyblade Master off guard. "I can wield a Keyblade, if that's what you mean, but I have Sora to thank for that."

"Roxas shares his Keyblades with Sora," Kairi explained, waving her hand in Oathkeeper's direction. "They share a lot of things. Riku has his own Keyblade, though, just like the King."

"Really?" Olette asked, her green eyes lighting up with interest.

Again, Roxas caught the female resident of Twilight Town watching him with a look on her face that clearly stated she was wondering where she had seen him before.

_Come on, Olette. Please remember..._

Roxas impatiently dismissed Oathkeeper with a sharp wave of his hand, and turning his attention to Hayner, he demanded yet again, "How did you know my name?"

Hayner's eyebrows narrowed into a frown, and shaking his head in confusion he mumbled, "I'm...not really sure. It just sort of popped into my head. I don't know why, but...I feel like I know you."

"You...do?"

"Yeah, actually, now that I think about it...you look kind of familiar."

"I do?"

"Yeah...Hey! Didn't I see you once before in Twilight Town?"

"Grandstander," Olette said softly, her eyes lighting up with sudden recognition. "We were showing you how to play Grandstander!"

"That's right!" Hayner shouted triumphantly, snapping his fingers. "You're that weird kid who laughed at me!"

"Only...you're not wearing that dark coat anymore," Olette observed, studying his current outfit with curiosity.

"You and the peanut gallery," Hayner grumbled, making a face. "You were all laughing at me!"

Glancing back and forth between his two friends, Roxas managed to gasp, "You...really remember?"

"Yeah, only...you never told us your name," Olette said quietly. "You never mentioned it."

"That's right," Pence agreed, studying him closely.

Both Olette and Pence turned to stare at Hayner, and crossing her arms over her chest, Olette said suspiciously, "Roxas never told us his name, but you knew exactly what it was without giving Sora a chance to mention it. How, Hayner? I don't understand..."

For a moment, Hayner merely stood there staring at his two friends, and shaking his head he said hesitantly, "Don't ask me. I don't understand what's going on here any more than you guys do. I don't really know how to explain it. It's just...you know...I told you. The name just kind of popped into my head. I don't know why, and I can't explain where it came from, so stop asking me dumb questions! The name, Roxas...It just...sounded right."

"You won't hear any arguments from me," Pence piped up, a slight smile slipping across his face. "I know exactly what you mean. As soon as you said the name Roxas, it felt...right."

"Then why did you bother asking me about it if you feel the same way?" Hayner groaned, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Sorry. I was just wondering if you had any kind of explanation for what's going on around here, but obviously you don't."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Pence laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "Trust me. I don't understand any of this any better than you do."

"I feel the same way," Olette murmured, clasping her hands together and gazing sheepishly at her feet. "As soon as Hayner said your name, Roxas, it was like I suddenly remembered you. At first, I couldn't remember where I'd seen you before, but then as soon as Hayner mentioned Twilight Town, it all came back to me. At least, I think it has, only..."

"Only what?"

"Well...even though I met you earlier, I feel like I should know you better than I actually do. I'm sure we know each other from somewhere else, only I can't recall where or when our paths might have crossed other than that day when we saw you passing through the Sandlot. It's like...something about you is missing from my memories. I _know _I'm supposed to know who you are. I mean, who you _really _are. Not a stranger, but...something else. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do. I'm sorry. I'm not making any sense, am I. Listen, Roxas, I have to apologize. I didn't mean to call you a ghost."

Roxas gently slipped his arm around Olette's shoulders, and giving her a warm smile, he said softly, "I know. It's okay. Don't worry about it."

"It's strange, though," Pence said thoughtfully, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "I feel the same way as Olette. I remember meeting you in Twilight Town, but...something about this whole thing just doesn't feel right. In my heart, I feel like you're supposed to be more important to me than I think you are. You were just some kid passing through Twilight Town, but when I think of you that way, it feels like a lie. You're more than that. At least, to me you are..."

"He wasn't just some kid passing through," Hayner snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "He was some weird kid in a weird coat passing through! Hey, Roxas, were you in a gang or something?"

Smiling weakly, Roxas managed to say, "Something like that."

"What about you, Hayner?" Olette asked curiously, turning to gaze expectantly at the blond-haired struggler.

"What about me?"

"Does Roxas make you feel, you know...kind of strange?"

Roxas held his breath as Hayner suddenly turned to look at him, and studying him closely, the blond-haired struggler said shortly, "You're no one to me, but...I feel like you should be."

"You mean, in your...heart?"

Turning his face away, Hayner mumbled, "That's one way of putting it, I guess. I don't know if I'd go that far..."

"Ignore him, Roxas," Olette said cheerfully, having finally gotten over her fear of being in the presence of a ghost. "He's just embarrassed to admit how he feels about you."

"I am not!"

Elbowing Hayner out of the way, Olette suddenly frowned in confusion, and gazing thoughtfully at the burgundy curtain obscuring the entrance to the usual spot from the back alley, she said slowly, "Roxas, why do you look like a ghost, and how do you know Sora?"

"Um...well..."

"You didn't look like a ghost the last time we saw you," Hayner pointed out.

Roxas glanced uncertainly at Sora, and smiling at Hayner, the Keyblade Master said quickly, "We'll get to that in a minute. First, there are a few other things we have to tell you. That is, if you want any of this to make sense."

"I figured," Pence laughed, shaking his head.

"Roxas, I really am sorry about calling you a ghost," Olette said regretfully, clearly embarrassed over her earlier outburst.

Throwing caution to the winds, Roxas took a deep breath and said quickly, "I told you, don't worry about it. Actually, I'm more offended by what you said about Axel."

"Who?" Olette asked, frowning in confusion.

"That 'creepy red-haired guy'. He's one of my two best friends."

Olette's mouth dropped open in surprise, and staring at him as if he had just grown an extra head, she tugged anxiously on his transparent arm, ignoring the fact that she already had his attention. "But...but...he was the one who kidnapped Kairi!"

"Axel. That guy you were with when you came across me in the tunnel way," Pence said quietly, unable to look at him.

"So...you do remember."

"When I saw him kidnap Kairi, I kept thinking he looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I'd seen him before. Then, when I saw you just now, it all came back to me. I remember everything. I even remember thinking he seemed like a good guy. At least...that was my first impression of him when I came across you guys near the number two entrance into the tunnels..."

"Pence, what the heck are you talking about?" Hayner demanded, staring at the dark-haired boy as if trying to decide whether or not his friend was going crazy.

"Yeah, this is news to me," Olette butted in, looking every bit as curious as Hayner.

Pence hesitated for a moment, and smiling sheepishly at his two friends, he said uncertainly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys about this a long time ago, but..."

"All right, enough with the riddles!" Hayner interrupted, glaring at the dark-haired boy. "Just what exactly are you hiding?"

"Um...well...you know how we met Roxas at the Sandlot?"

"Duh, of course I do! Haven't we established that already?"

"Well, you see...I actually met Roxas before then. In the tunnels. He had a friend with him that time, and they were asking me about the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town."

"Oh! That's right!" Olette interrupted, her voice full of excitement. "I remember now! You did mention something about having met Roxas before."

"Only you never told us what happened during that meeting," Hayner said accusingly.

"I told you I was sorry! It's just...I didn't think it was all that important at the time."

Gazing at Pence, Roxas said quietly, "It was more important than you know."

"So...my advice came in handy then?" Pence asked hopefully.

"Yeah, you really helped me and Axel out. We were able to find that giant Heartless we'd been looking for, thanks to your advice."

"Er...Heartless?"

"Later," Sora interrupted, waving off Pence's comment.

Though he looked reluctant to drop the subject of the Heartless, Pence nodded to show he understood and said, "So, finding this Heartless thing is what helped you to find that friend you'd been looking for?"

"Friend?"

_**"I'll have these moments memorized for a long time. Forever, I hope."**_

_**"Me, too. Forever..."**_

"Yeah, you know...you told me you'd been looking for someone. Then, when we met up with you at the Sandlot, you said you'd found whoever this friend was."

_I...did?_

Frowning in confusion, Roxas merely stared at the dark-haired boy, unsure of what to say. He remembered Pence asking him about a friend who had gone missing, but for the life of him he could not remember who that friend might have been.

_It definitely wasn't Axel because he was the one helping me look. But if not him, then...who else would I have been looking for?_

"Roxas?" Olette pressed. "Are you okay?"

"Aren't any of you going to ask him about Axel?" Riku suddenly interrupted, smiling in amusement.

Startled, Roxas turned to look at Riku, and gazing suspiciously at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade, he frowned thoughtfully to himself. Although he had no way of proving it, for some reason he had a feeling Riku had gone out of his way to change the topic of their conversation on purpose.

"Yeah!" Hayner shouted, making a fist. "Axel! If he's your best friend, why did he go and kidnap Kairi?"

"_One _of my best friends, and what do you expect? He _was _a member of the Organization."

"What!? Wait, are you saying that guy you were with, one of _your_ best friends, was a member of Organization XIII? Are you saying that he was...you know...a bad guy?" Pence asked in disbelief. "Actually, now that you mention it, I do remember Goofy asking Donald if the guy who kidnapped Kairi could have been Axel."

Roxas hesitated and finally nodded. "He _was _one of my best friends, but he...disappeared. He did it to help Sora. He did it to...to help me..."

"So then...are you saying he wasn't actually one of the...uh...bad guys?" Pence stammered. "Because, when I met him, he...he didn't seem like a bad guy. He seemed a lot like...you know...like you."

"Who cares?" Hayner snorted. "Roxas, you said you have two best friends, right? Well, if that creepy red-haired guy was one of them then who...who's the other one, and what did Sora mean when he said my best friend was weird? I...I don't...I mean...you said..."

_I hope you know what you're doing, Sora..._

Roxas took a deep breath, and lowering his bright blue eyes to the ground, he managed to whisper, "You, Hayner. My other best friend. It's you."

_**"I guess...not all friendships fall apart..."**_

"Me?" Hayner managed to stutter, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? How could I...I mean, I don't even know you that well. We've only met once before, and...but wait. I _do_ know you, don't I. I mean..._really _know you. It's like Pence and Olette were saying. Your face...I've seen your face before, and I don't mean just from that time we met in the Sandlot. I've seen you somewhere else...No, not somewhere else. In Twilight Town, but not _this _Twilight Town. Somewhere different, a place where I _knew _you, but...that's impossible..."

Roxas slowly looked up, and feeling a sudden lump in his throat he gazed silently at his former best friend, unable to respond. Even though he was no longer living in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, Hayner was still the Hayner who had chosen him for a best friend, and Pence and Olette were still the same loyal friends he had come to know so well. Nothing had changed, and for the first time since he had arrived in Twilight Town, he truly felt as if he had a reason to be happy.

_And it's all thanks to Sora. I wonder if he even realizes what a great person he is. He's always willing to give everyone a second chance, even if they don't deserve it. I bet he would have given Axel a second chance..._

"Roxas, who...who are you?" Hayner asked quietly, studying his face. "I mean...who are you _really?_"

_I'm a Nobody, Hayner, and according to most people, that means I don't have the right to exist. Will you feel that way, too, once you find out who I really am?_

Roxas suddenly felt Sora's arm go around his shoulders and he turned to look at the Keyblade Master in surprise. Sora gave him an encouraging smile, but before he could say anything, the Keyblade Master turned to Hayner and placed his right hand against his chest. "Come on, Hayner, look inside your heart. If you do, you'll realize Roxas is telling the truth."

"My heart?" Hayner glanced at his chest in confusion, and although he did not seem to have a clue what Sora was talking about, something about the look on his face once again caused the entire room to fall into a tense silence. "We...we were friends, weren't we? Even when you broke your promises, I always did forgive you. You used to stick up for me all the time when Seifer would accuse us of causing trouble, and I would do the same for you. I remember something strange was happening to you and the whole town was going to help you try and figure out what was going on. I remember we were going to go to the beach, but somehow you lost our munny. You said some guy stole it from you, and even though no one else had seen him, you kept insisting he was real. You...you said he asked you if you could feel Sora. I can't really explain it, but...somehow all of that weird stuff you were experiencing has something to do with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Am I right?"

"Gawrsh, Hayner, you really do remember!" Goofy said happily.

"It's about time!" Donald muttered.

"Hayner, Roxas wasn't imagining things," Riku said quietly, shaking his head. "I was the one who stole Olette's munny pouch."

"Yeah, don't you remember, Hayner?" Olette said softly. "The King wouldn't tell us where he'd gotten it from, but we were able to figure it out on our own from what the King _didn't _say. That second blue jewel and my munny pouch. Riku got them from that alternate Twilight Town."

"That's right," Riku agreed, nodding his head in conformation. "I was the one who gave that munny pouch and that blue jewel to the King. I was the one who asked Roxas if he could feel Sora. I was the one he saw, whom you guys _couldn't _see, in that alternate Twilight Town, and I...I'm sorry."

"You mean...Roxas really did see someone? Are you guys sure I didn't just dream all of that?" Hayner asked, glancing suspiciously at Riku. "None of that stuff actually happened, did it? I mean...I know it happened. At least, I think it happened, but I don't remember it. It's more like I...I feel it. I feel it in...in my heart."

"You're right, Hayner," Olette said softly, her hands coming to rest gently against her heart. "I feel it, too. It's strange, but I saw flashes of those memories in my dreams, but as soon as I woke up, I would always forget about them."

"Same here," Pence said hesitantly, frowning at his hands. "It's strange, but...as soon as Roxas appeared, all of those memories started coming back to me. Weren't we searching for the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town? Not like how Roxas and Axel were asking me about them. It was for a school project."

"The struggle match," Hayner muttered, his dark eyes sparkling with sudden recognition. "Roxas, you won the struggle competition, not Seifer!"

_They remember! They really do remember! I wonder if the Hayner, Pence, and Olette who lived in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town were worried about me. I mean, I did disappear after I merged with Sora, and we don't know exactly when Ansem's simulation ceased to exist. My disappearance probably caused a lot of talk. I wonder if they set out on a mission to search for me. If they did, I bet they got the whole town involved. Did they miss me, even just a little bit?_

"Riku, are you saying all of that stuff happened in that alternate Twilight Town?" Olette gasped, her green eyes filling with sudden understanding.

"Yes, that's where you know Roxas from. In that alternate Twilight Town, the three of you were his closest friends, and Hayner was his best friend."

Roxas gazed silently into Hayner's dark eyes, and suddenly he knew the answer to his question. They had missed him, and he knew that without a shadow of a doubt because the Hayner, Pence, and Olette standing before him now were the same three friends who had been inside his heart all along.

_I guess Sora was right. Maybe I do have a heart after all._

"Roxas, why...why did you leave?" Hayner asked quietly. "Why did you leave Twilight Town? Real or not, why did you leave us behind?"

Roxas smiled slightly, and letting out a deep sigh he said regretfully, "I had to. Sora needed me."

"For what?"

"For everything. He needed to wake up. He...he needed to be whole again, just as much as I did. And not only that, there was no way he could have stopped Xemnas without me."

"I couldn't do a lot of things without you," Sora said softly. "It wasn't just your strength I needed. It was everything about you."

Roxas slowly sat down on the ground, and reaching out, he grabbed Sora's arm and pulled the Keyblade Master down next to him. Hayner, Pence, and Olette quickly sat down in front of them, and Roxas felt Olette squeeze his hand. "Tell us everything, Roxas."

"Well?" Hayner demanded, glancing suspiciously at Sora. "Why would you have needed Roxas to help you? No offense, Sora, but I'm getting a little confused. I thought Organization XIII were supposed to be the bad guys. Don't tell me you were the one who made all of that weird stuff happen to Roxas."

"What? No way!" Sora shouted, clearly offended by Hayner's accusation. "If there had been a way for me to stop all of that from happening, I would have changed things in an instant!"

Roxas clapped a hand over Sora's mouth before the Keyblade Master could give Hayner a big lecture on the importance of friendship, and smiling in amusement he said, "Would you relax? Sometimes you can be really embarrassing, you know that? Listen, Sora, you're one of the few people I've met in my life who has never once treated me like a Nobody. I know how you feel, and that's all that matters to me. Why should you care about anything else?"

Sora managed a sheepish grin, and Roxas slowly pulled his hand away from the Keyblade Master's mouth.

"You're right. Hey, Roxas?"

"What?"

"Just so you know, I'm never going to let anyone or anything separate us ever again."

Roxas let out a groan and shook his head. "Man, Riku, how _do _you put up with him?"

"I'm not a sap!" Sora grumbled, glaring at Riku, as if daring the other boy to say something.

Riku ignored his best friend, and turning to look at Hayner, he said seriously, "Sora didn't have anything to do with what happened to Roxas. The Organization, Ansem the Wise, His Majesty King Mickey, and myself were behind all of that."

"You?" Hayner asked, his mouth falling open in surprise. "Is that why you stole our munny?"

"I guess you could say that."

Roxas turned away from his best friend, and leaning close to his other half, he punched Sora lightly in the shoulder. "By the way, I'll do the same for you."

"I knew you would say that."

Thankfully, no one else appeared to be listening to their conversation, and in Roxas' opinion that was the way it was supposed to be.

"What was that about...Nobodies?" Pence asked hesitantly.

_Namine! We have to tell them about Namine!_

Sora must have read his mind because the Keyblade Master suddenly turned towards Kairi and gave her a curious look. "We can't tell Hayner and the others what happened without Namine."

"Who's Namine?" Olette asked, frowning in confusion.

"Namine is a good friend of ours," Kairi explained. "She really wants to meet you guys. Isn't that right, Namine?"

Kairi's body began to glow, and a moment later Namine materialized beside her other half. Olette let out a gasp of surprise, Pence shook his head in disbelief, and Hayner raised his eyebrows at the sight of Namine's transparent body.

"Hello," Namine said rather shyly, gazing nervously at her feet. "It's nice to meet you all. Roxas is really lucky to have so many good friends. I wish I could have been as lucky as him."

"You are," Olette said cheerfully, smiling at Namine. "If you and Roxas are friends, then that means you're friends with us, too."

Pence slowly got to his feet, and after a brief hesitation, he reached out and gently touched Namine's shoulder. "You're real, just like Roxas, but why...why do the two of you look like ghosts? You guys never answered Olette's question, and how did Roxas and Sora come to know each other so well?"

"Sora, I think it's time to tell them the truth about Roxas," Riku said quietly.

_They sort of remember me now, but will they still want to be friends with me when they find out I'm a Nobody? What will they think of me when they find out about the Organization? I don't think I could stand it if Hayner, Pence, and Olette started treating me like a Nobody. They were the first people, other than Axel, who really accepted me as their equal, and Axel doesn't count because he was a Nobody like me..._

"Roxas, Namine, why are you guys transparent?" Olette asked quietly.

Roxas sent Namine a nervous smile before taking a deep breath and turning to face Olette. "There were two types of enemies Sora had to fight against while searching for Riku and the King. You guys already know about the Nobodies, but there are also beings called Heartless that caused just as much trouble as the Nobodies. Heartless are creatures of darkness that are created when a person succumbs to the darkness in their heart. They appear out of nowhere and they cast worlds into darkness by stealing people's hearts. When a Heartless is created, a Nobody is also created, but they have a different goal in mind than the Heartless. A powerful Nobody is born from the body and soul of a strong-hearted person who lost their heart to the darkness. Basically they, along with the other Nobodies, are leftovers who are generally born in Twilight Town and they exist merely as the body and soul of a person whose heart was taken by the Heartless. Most Nobodies take on an inhuman form and they are able to change their shape. Those white things you saw are perfect examples of the types of Nobodies I'm talking about, but Nobodies who had strong hearts before their original selves lost their hearts to the darkness are able to maintain a human form. Unlike the Heartless, Nobodies always feel the need to be complete. Their main goal is to reunite with their lost hearts, but many of them will settle for any heart as long as it stops them from feeling incomplete. I guess you're wondering about the Organization. Well, the members of Organization XIII were a group of powerful Nobodies who only had one goal in mind. They wanted to possess the heart of all worlds. Kingdom Hearts."

_**"Once Kingdom Hearts is complete, you'll be able to do all kinds of things."**_

"In the end they, like all Nobodies, were searching for their lost hearts. All they wanted was to feel whole," Kairi sighed.

"How...sad," Olette whispered.

_The heart of all worlds. I was the one with the Keyblade, and yet out of all the members of the Organization, I was the one who needed Kingdom Hearts least of all. If I had only known then that the one thing I really needed__ the most was the one thing they tried so hard to take away from me. Sora..._

"So...Nobodies are beings who...who don't have hearts?" Hayner said slowly. "Sounds kind of weird, but what does all of this have to do with Roxas?"

Roxas felt Sora's arm tighten around his body, and turning his face into the Keyblade Master's shoulder, he closed his eyes in order to avoid having to look at Hayner.

_More than I could have ever guessed..._

"I should have known after...after what happened to me when I defended Kairi's heart," Sora said slowly, shaking his head.

"What?" Hayner snapped, glaring suspiciously at the Keyblade Master.

"Hayner, I...Roxas is my Nobody."


	6. A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts and everything else that goes along with it. Seriously, if I did, you know Roxas would always have a place in the story somewhere, and if Nomura throws him to the curb after this, I will never forgive that man!

**A/N: One more chapter to go after this one! Again, not much to say here other than I hope you all enjoy the new rewrite. These last two chapters have been especially hard to change, but so far I've managed to do so successfully. (At least I hope so!) Like with the rest of the story, quotes are taken from _Kingdom Hearts II _and _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. _I will try to get the last chapter done as soon as possible and then I will be moving on to the rewrite for the sequel, _The Eyes of Twilight._ Enjoy and please review. I'd love to hear your thoughts on my story!  
**

The Way to the Heart

Chapter 6: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

_Roxas_

_The Usual Spot, Twilight Town_

"No," Hayner said slowly, shaking his head in denial, "Roxas can't be a Nobody. He can't be!"

"You might not think so, but Nobodies are a lot more complex than they appear to be at first sight," Riku countered, his aqua eyes watching Hayner closely. "They're not quite as simple as one might believe, despite the fact that they don't have hearts. Remember that. You never know, it might be important."

"But-"

"It's true," Sora interrupted, watching Hayner closely. "Roxas _is_ my Nobody."

"But...but that's impossible!"

_I'm sorry, Hayner. I'm sorry I'm not the friend you thought I was. Wait a minute, what did he just say?_

"It's not true! It can't be true!" Olette gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

Hayner nodded in agreement, and crossing his arms over his chest, he said bluntly, "You're wrong, Sora."

"Why do you think that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Pence mumbled, glancing nervously at Hayner before turning to look at Sora.

"Even I'm not so stupid as to actually believe that!" Hayner snapped, glaring at the Keyblade Master.

For a moment, Sora looked a little uncertain, and there was a slight frown on his face, as if he couldn't decide whether or not Hayner was being serious or if the blond struggler was merely joking about not believing the truth concerning the origin of the golden-haired boy who claimed to be his best friend, and tugging on the Keyblade Master's arm, Roxas mumbled, "Sora, maybe-"

"Wait."

"But-"

"Trust me on this one, Roxas."

"Right...Whatever you say."

Studying the Keyblade Master's face, Roxas let out a sigh of defeat, and crossing his arms over his chest, he gave his other half a slightly anxious look. Much to his chagrin, Sora appeared genuinely curious as to the reason why Hayner and the others kept contradicting him, and although he was obviously a bit confused about what was going on, something about the expression on his face made it look as if he had a feeling he already knew the answer to his own question and was merely waiting for someone to work up enough courage to blurt out the truth. "Why do you guys think Roxas can't be a Nobody? We wouldn't lie to you about something this important, or anything else for that matter. Come on, you can tell us."

Hayner ignored the Keyblade Master, and turning his face away he gazed silently at his feet, his dark eyes narrowing in concentration. The expression on his face was hard to read, but it looked to Roxas as if the blond struggler was thinking things over carefully in his mind.

After a moment of silence, Hayner appeared to have come to some sort of a decision because he suddenly looked up and Roxas found himself gazing into his former best friend's dark eyes. "Roxas, you can't be a Nobody because...well...because you don't act like someone who doesn't have a heart."

"Hayner's right. You're not like those other Nobodies," Pence insisted.

"You wouldn't have come here today if you didn't have a heart," Olette said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

_They sound like Sora. I don't understand. What am I missing? What is it they can see that I can't see? Do they really think I'm like them?_

Sora certainly seemed to think along those lines, but Roxas wasn't so sure. He knew Sora suspected him of having a heart, and the Keyblade Master also appeared capable of seeing something in him that he himself was unable to see, but he had never really thought about it, until now. At first, he had thought Sora only pretended to believe he was special in an effort to cheer him up, but now he was starting to think the Keyblade Master was a little bit more complex than he had first believed.

_Sora and his friends were the ones who dragged me here in the first place, but I didn't exactly try very hard to resist. Even though I wasn't very enthusiastic about coming to Twilight Town, a part of me knew this was the one thing I've wanted more than anything else ever since I found out the truth about my identity. Could Hayner and the others be right about me? Did I come to Twilight Town because I have a heart? Did I come here because I couldn't give up my memories? Memories of the real Twilight Town and Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town?  
_

"You're not a Nobody, are you?" Hayner demanded, clenching his hands into fists. "Tell me you're not like them. Tell me you're not like those things that attacked us. Tell me you're not like...like the Organization."

Unable to look Hayner directly in the eyes, Roxas turned his face away and gazed sadly at his feet. "You know Sora would never lie to you. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but I can't. I am a Nobody; born in Twilight Town when Sora's heart was taken by the Heartless. Look at me, Hayner. Look at my face. Look into my eyes. You know it's the truth. As much as you might not want to hear it, I can't lie about my true identity. I _am_ Sora's Nobody, and nothing I say is going to change the facts. Nothing will change who I really am, even if you don't want to believe what's right here in front of you."

"You can't-"

"It's not what you think, Hayner. Please, you have to believe us," Namine pleaded, leaning forwards with her hands clasped together beneath her chin. "Besides, Roxas isn't the only Nobody in this room. I'm also a Nobody."

"Really?" Olette stammered, clearly shocked.

Namine nodded slowly, and wrapping her arm around Kairi's shoulders she said proudly, "Yes, I'm Kairi's Nobody. That's why I'm transparent, just like Roxas. It's because the two of us, once separated from our hearts, were able to reunite with our original selves and become whole again. I'm no different from Roxas, unless you count...well...we'll get to that later."

"I think I'm dreaming again," Pence muttered, shaking his head.

Kairi lifted her chin, and giving the Twilight Town gang a stern look, she said firmly, "That's right. Namine _is_ my Nobody, but she's also my friend. I can't imagine life without her anymore. She's been a great help to all of us, even if she doesn't realize it yet."

"Thanks, Kairi," Namine murmured, smiling shyly at her other half.

Kairi beamed at the golden-haired Nobody, and shrugging her shoulders, she said, "You're always blaming yourself for things that were completely out of your control. You did what you could to help us and that's all I care about."

Roxas glanced hopefully at Hayner and he winced at the look on his best friend's face. "Hayner, listen-"

"So...you really are a Nobody. Is that why you were friends with someone from the Organization?"

_I've come this far already. Will it even matter anymore if I tell them the rest? They already hate me. I can tell by the way they're looking at me._

Roxas stared at his hands, and realizing they were trembling, he quickly hid them behind his back to hide the flood of emotions coursing through his body. "Like I said before, Organization XIII was a group of powerful Nobodies who wanted nothing more than to gain control of Kingdom Hearts. Xemnas was their leader. Lord Xemnas, our Superior...Each member was identified by a number and a title. My friend Axel was Number VIII and he was known as The Flurry of Dancing Flames. Also, all of their names were anagrams of their original names; the names they had before their hearts were taken by the Heartless, and each new name had the letter X in it to identify the owner of that name as a member of the Organization."

"All of this has something to do with you, doesn't it," Pence said slowly, as if dreading the words he was about to hear next.

Roxas nodded, and putting his face in his hands, he whispered, "If you take out the X in Roxas and rearrange the letters, what does it spell?"

"Sora," Olette gasped, her green eyes sparkling with sudden tears. "It spells Sora."

"You're right. It spells Sora. The Organization had thirteen members. I was Number XIII; The Key of Destiny."

Pulling his hands away from his face, Roxas slowly looked up, but he did not dare focus his attention on Hayner, nor did he attempt to glance at either Olette or Pence. Instead, he turned to look at Sora, and due to the bond they shared, he was not at all surprised to find the Keyblade Master staring back at him. The two of them studied each other for a moment and letting out a sigh, Roxas mumbled, "Thanks, Sora. You and your bright ideas."

"Sora, why don't you start at the beginning?" Riku suggested, getting to his feet and moving over to sit next to his best friend. "Tell them everything that's happened right from the very moment when you first received the Keyblade. Roxas, Kairi, Namine, and I can fill in all the gaps."

"We can help, too," Donald offered, pointing to himself and waving his staff at Goofy.

Goofy nodded vigorously, and beaming at the Keyblade Master, he said cheerfully, "Gawrsh, Sora, we were with you almost the whole time. I'm sure we can be of some help."

"Thanks, guys. I think I'm going to need help from everyone because a lot of things happened without me even knowing they were happening, especially when I was asleep!"

"Donald and I can't help you there. We were asleep, too!" Goofy countered, looking a little sheepish.

Roxas turned away from his other half, and shaking his head, he jumped when he suddenly felt Sora's hand on his arm. Frowning to himself, he shifted sightly to look at the Keyblade Master over his shoulder, and making a face he mumbled, "What now?"

"If you think you're going to get out of this, forget it. They need to hear some of this from you."

"I know, but..."

"Come on, Roxas."

Roxas made a face, and letting out a deep sigh, he nodded his head in defeat. "I can't believe I let you talk to me into this. Fine then, it's too late to turn back now anyways. Let's just get this over with."

Sora nodded, and with a little help from his friends, the Keyblade Master proceeded to tell Hayner and the others exactly what had happened after the Keyblade had chosen him and his island home had been invaded by the Heartless. Occasionally, Sora would hesitate, and Roxas or one of the others would fill in the gaps during those moments when the Keyblade Master had not been present for some of the more crucial details of the story. It took a while, but after what seemed like ages, Sora's story finally came to an end.

"So...like Riku said earlier, all of that stuff with Roxas really did happen, only it happened in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town," Olette said slowly, almost to herself. "It was real."

Feeling nervous, Roxas slowly lifted his head, and finding a small spark of courage he didn't know he had, he glanced anxiously at his three friends from Twilight Town. Sora's last words about the fall of the Organization and what had happened after Xemnas had been defeated were still ringing in his ears, and the silence in the room was so powerful, it made the place feel almost like a deserted graveyard.

"I still can't believe there were two Twilight Towns," Pence muttered, scratching his head and still looking slightly confused. "I mean, we knew that when Sora first went to the second Twilight Town, but at the time I never really thought about the people. It's like there were two of every single person in Twilight Town, including Hayner, Olette, and myself."

"Very weird," Olette laughed. "Did my double act exactly like I do?"

"Exactly the same," Kairi replied, smiling at the green-eyed brunette.

Roxas stared at Olette for a moment, and mouth dropping open in surprise, he shook his head at the dark-haired female in disbelief.

_She knows I was a member of the Organization, but for some reason she doesn't seem the least bit upset about it. And neither does Pence, for that matter. I don't understand. I thought for sure they would hate me for working with Xemnas..._

And yet, despite their carefree attitudes, Roxas was unable to stop himself from feeling as if it were all too good to be true. He turned to look at Hayner, and it was as if his worst fears had been confirmed. Unlike Pence and Olette, Hayner wasn't smiling.

"What's wrong, Hayner?" Namine asked, exchanging a nervous look with Kairi.

Hayner ignored the golden-haired Nobody, and leaning back on his hands, he glared silently at the floor. There was absolutely no expression whatsoever on his face, but Roxas could tell the blond struggler was trying to absorb all the information that had been thrown at him over the last little while. "You really were one of them. That's why that creepy red-haired guy was your best friend. Why? Why did you join the Organization in the first place?"

Roxas stared at his hands, and thinking back on the past, he managed a bitter smile. "What was I supposed to do? I had nowhere else to go. Sora hadn't been a Heartless long enough for me to have any memories of my original self. When I came to life in Twilight Town, I had no idea where I was, who I was, or what I wanted to do. In fact, after joining the Organization, I couldn't even _remember_ my first week as a Nobody. Those memories only came back to me after I merged with Sora. Axel kept insisting we ate ice cream together on top of the clock tower on the day I got my new name, but I couldn't remember that moment. It was only after I became whole again that I was able see that day clearly in my head. The day Xemnas found me and gave me my new name. Deep down inside, I knew I was searching for something, but I had no idea what it might be. It was only after I left the Organization that I finally figured out what it was."

"What was it? What were you searching for?" Hayner asked, avoiding his eyes.

Roxas put his hand on Sora's shoulder and the two of them smiled at each other. "It was Sora, obviously, but I didn't know enough to realize it at the time. It wasn't until I got some help from Ansem, Riku, and a few other people that I finally realized the truth."

"It was then that you could truly _feel_ Sora," Namine said softly, a gentle smile on her face. "Not only feel him, but feel his heart calling out to you."

"Maybe, but...maybe not. A part of Sora has _always_ been with me, even when I was in the Organization. All the memories, all the dreams flashing through my head..."

"Yes. I've always thought...But, maybe you might be right."

"Roxas?" Sora interrupted, a quizzical look on his face.

Gazing at his hands, Roxas said quietly, "How many times did I see your face, but there was never a name to go with it. And even when I did learn your name, I never made the connection. How could I have been so blind?"

"Because you wanted to be you," Sora said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "And deep down inside, I think a part of you knew that if you _did _make that connection, you would end up losing everything you cared about."

For a moment, all Roxas could do was stare at the Keyblade Master, at a complete loss for words, and then leaning towards his other half so that their foreheads were touching, he said quietly, "Does that make me selfish?"

"No," Sora replied, smiling slightly. "That makes you me."

"But-"

"Besides, Nobodies can't feel things like selfishness, remember?"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"As if," Sora teased, deliberately mocking Xigbar. "That was a compliment."

"Oh, thanks! You know, you're worse than Xigbar _and _Axel!"

"And you could give Riku a run for his munny!"

Laughing, Roxas was about to pull away from his other half, but Sora suddenly put a hand on the back of his neck, tugging him close again so that their foreheads were resting together, and gazing directly into his eyes, the Keyblade Master said firmly, "You were afraid to lose everything that was important to you, and in a way you did. Axel's gone and your old life is nothing more than memories now. Maybe it happened then, but it _won't _happen now. You lost a lot, but you also gained a lot, and I'm going to make sure you won't have to live the rest of your life with nothing but past memories to dwell on, even if it means I have to spend the rest of _my _life making up for the life _you _gave up."

"Sora..."

"Don't bother. Nothing you say will make me change my mind."

Closing his eyes, Roxas allowed a small smile to slip across his face, and nodding his head he said in amusement, "No wonder I'm so stubborn."

"If Ansem could see you now," Sora said softly, regretfully shaking his head.

"Okay, I get the fact that you were practically a zombie at first, but that still doesn't explain why you let Xemnas and those other weirdos manipulate you," Hayner interrupted, clearly annoyed at being momentarily forgotten.

Sighing, Roxas once again moved away from the Keyblade Master, and avoiding the blond struggler's angry gaze, he said,"I know, at the time, I couldn't remember my first week in the Organization, but once I was able to retain my memories, being a part of the Organization gave me a sense of purpose. Without a past, I at least had a place where I belonged, and I even got myself a best friend. I didn't always agree with some of the things the Organization was doing, but at least I wasn't alone anymore, and therefore most of the time I didn't question their plans or their motives. It wasn't until the end that I started to question myself and the Organization. What was I fighting for? I barely even knew what Kingdom Hearts was, only that is was supposed to grant us hearts. I only had the barest understanding of what Nobodies were, and I myself was one of them! All that time, I'd been following orders blindly. Why? Well, what else was I supposed to do? I had nowhere else to go, I had no past I could fall back on, I had nothing, and that bothered me. I started to question everything I knew, and that was when I decided to leave, even though I didn't have an idea of where to go. At least I was doing _something_, something that didn't involve blindly following orders. Before that, though, I was pretty content, most of the time, but...even then, I knew it wasn't enough. There was something missing, and deep down inside, in some part of my subconscious that I spent so much time ignoring, I knew it would haunt me forever until I figured out what it was. At the time, I lived in darkness, and yet the element I wielded was light. None of it made any sense. Eventually, like I said before, I left the Organization because I needed to know why the Keyblade had chosen me. I needed to know who I was. I left because...because although I didn't realize it at the time, something was telling me I needed to find my heart."

"Your heart?" Hayner said sharply, gazing stubbornly at his feet. "I thought Nobodies didn't _have_ hearts."

"According to Xemnas and the other members of the Organization, Nobodies are able to fake emotions because they remember what it was like to have a heart, but...there were times when I found it hard to believe they were faking because their emotions seemed so...real," Kairi said thoughtfully, getting to her feet.

Namine got up as well, and the two of them, along with Goofy and Donald, quickly joined the small circle and settled themselves on the ground. Roxas turned to Kairi, who had taken the seat on his left, and he stared at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when Axel came to capture me on Destiny Islands, he told me we had a lot in common. I had no idea who he was at the time, but one thing he said to me really stuck out. He said...he told me we both missed someone we care about."

"Huh? That doesn't make any sense. Who would Axel have been talking about?"

"Roxas, he was talking about you."

_Me?_

Roxas stared at Kairi with his mouth hanging open, and shaking his head in disbelief, he stammered, "No way. You really think it was me?"

Kairi gently placed her hands on his shoulders and she gave him a warm smile. "Who else would it have been? After you merged with Sora, all Axel wanted was one last chance to see you again. You were the reason he betrayed the Organization. Why do you think he helped Sora by opening the path to Xemnas? He told Sora you were the only one he ever liked. He said you made him feel like he had a heart. Are you going to sit there and tell me he was faking all of that? No way, Roxas. He meant every word of it! I know he did!"

_Why didn't I see it before? Axel...in the end, you weren't so different from me. I cared, too, even though I never really had a chance to say so in those exact words. It doesn't matter, though, I think you knew. No, I know you knew it, especially at the end, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not trusting you. I'm sorry for not believing in you when all you wanted was to protect me...  
_

_**"You really think the truth is going to make you feel better? It won't."**_

_**"What makes you so sure? I have a right to know who I am! How did I get here? Why am I special? Where did I learn to use the Keyblade? I deserve those answers!"  
**_

Without a word, Roxas threw his arms around Kairi, and hugging her tightly he mumbled, "Thank you for telling me."

"I'm just returning the favour," Kairi whispered softly in his ear. "You're the one who told me I'm that girl Sora likes."

For a moment, Roxas had no clue what she was talking about, but then it suddenly came back to him. "Oh yeah, I did say that, didn't I! Wait a second, you won't _tell_ him I said that, will you? If you do, he'll kill me."

Kairi hid her face against his shoulder to stop herself from laughing, and giving him a reassuring pat on the back, she said teasingly, "Don't worry, I won't, but since you're his Nobody, you'd better hope he doesn't figure out the truth on his own!"

"Hey, Kairi? You really like Sora, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Isn't it obvious?"

Roxas raised his eyebrows, and shaking his head at the boldness of her words, he smiled in amusement. He could feel Sora's eyes on the back of his skull, but he did not dare turn around in case the look on his face accidentally gave away Kairi's secret. Besides, he didn't need to turn around to know that Sora was watching him curiously, clearly wondering what he and Kairi were talking about. "If you like Sora, and you know Sora likes you, then why haven't you said anything to him about it?"

Kairi blushed, and to his astonishment, she gave him a smile that was surprisingly shy. "Well, I was kind of hoping _he_ would say something to _me_. I know he likes me, but well...I want to hear him say it."

"Well, one of you had better say something soon otherwise Sora's going to drive me nuts."

"Why don't you take your own advice and say something to Namine?"

Roxas felt his face heat up, but before he could open his mouth, Sora suddenly moved closer to him and glanced around his shoulder at Kairi.

_I bet he's going to ask her about-_

"Hey, Kairi, if Axel was talking about Roxas then who's the person you were missing? You must have really cared about him or her, right?" Sora blurted out, gazing curiously at the red-haired female.

Kairi settled herself once more next to Namine, and smiling at the Keyblade Master, she said mysteriously, "I did miss him a lot, even when I couldn't remember his name, but I'd never given up hope that we would see each other again. He's always with me, even now. In the end, I think Axel realized the same thing about Roxas."

"Are you trying to tell me Axel had a heart?" Hayner said skeptically, looking very much as if he found that extremely hard to believe.

Roxas barely heard Hayner. He was too busy smiling at his other half and trying not to look too relieved. He had never felt so grateful towards Sora as he did at that moment, and it was all thanks to the Keyblade Master's excellent timing. If Sora hadn't interrupted at that moment, he would have been forced to answer some awkward questions about Namine.

_Speaking of Namine..._

He glanced at the golden-haired Nobody and was surprised to find her watching him with a slight smile on her face. Feeling self-conscious, he quickly looked away, and blushing slightly, he once again focused his attention on Hayner.

"Well?" the blond struggler demanded, his eyebrows narrowing into a frown. "Isn't anyone going to answer me?"

"Who knows?" Riku said, sounding rather impatient. "There are always exceptions to the rules. Namine and Roxas are perfect examples of that. Maybe Axel had a heart; maybe he didn't. I doubt we'll ever know the answer either way."

"That doesn't make any sense! How can Roxas be any different from all the other Nobodies out there? He joined the Organization, didn't he? Are you trying to tell me he has a heart?"

"Yes," Sora said simply, the certainty in his voice leaving no room for argument.

There was silence.

Disheartened by this sudden turn of events, Roxas gazed sadly into his best friend's eyes, but Hayner refused to look at him.

_I knew this would happen. I knew he would hate me after everything I did..._

Something inside of Roxas seemed to break, and unable to stand the silence anymore, he reached out and grabbed Hayner by the shoulders. "Listen to me, I know you're mad, but what else could I have done? Sora and I had no idea what was going on. The Organization did everything they could to keep us apart. Do you think I'm proud of my past? I know I haven't always done the right thing, but I've changed since then. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"You're a Nobody, Roxas," Hayner said bitterly, a scowl on his face. "They can fake emotions, can't they? How do I know you really mean what you say? You act like you care about us, but how do I know if that's how you really feel? How do I know if it's real or not?"

Roxas felt his whole face crumple, and it was all he could do not to give in to despair. He could feel his hands shaking and he quickly let go of Hayner's shoulders before the other boy could comment on his lack of control. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't be afraid to lose you. How can it get any more real than that?"

Hayner was silent for a moment, and after what seemed like a lifetime, he finally lifted his head and managed a thin smile. "If you are faking, it's pretty convincing."

"I believe you, Roxas," Olette interrupted, rolling her eyes at Hayner and placing her chin in her hands. "You might not have been on the King's side to begin with, but unlike Xemnas and some of the others, you left the Organization of your own free will and joined the fight to stop Xehanort's Nobody from taking over Kingdom Hearts. No one forced you to leave the Organization. You did that all on your own even though you knew they would either try to capture you again, turn you into a Dusk, or kill you for it. You even left your best friend behind because you knew it was the right thing to do. After finding out the truth about yourself, you could have just given up and let yourself fade back into darkness, but you didn't. Instead, you helped Sora fight against the Nobodies who once claimed to have your best interests at heart. Uh...not that they have hearts, or...well...you know what I mean. That sort of makes up for everything, doesn't it?"

Pence nodded in agreement, and Roxas jumped when the shorter boy suddenly put a hand on his arm and gave him a big smile. "Olette's right. If Sora says you have a heart then that's good enough for me. You might have been on the wrong side to begin with, but if you had known about Sora right from the very beginning, I know you never would have joined the Organization. I have a feeling Sora was the one who dragged you here today, but that doesn't matter. If you really didn't value our friendship, you wouldn't be here. Simple as that."

"Will you guys stop trying to make me look like the bad guy?" Hayner grumbled, a genuine smile beginning to form on his face.

Roxas blinked in surprise, and breath catching in his throat, he sent his best friend a hopeful look.

This time, Hayner didn't turn away from him.

"I still don't really understand why they're called Nobodies," Olette said slowly, gazing thoughtfully at her hands. "It doesn't really make sense, does it?"

Roxas stared at her and frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it. A Nobody is the body and soul of a person whose heart was taken by the Heartless, right?"

"Yeah, what's your point?"

Olette stared back at him, hesitated, and promptly threw her arms around him in a hug. Normally, the female resident of Twilight Town was a very easygoing person who didn't often stress about things unnecessarily, which was why it seemed a little odd to see her looking so serious. "Roxas, you'll never be a Nobody to us. That word just doesn't fit you at all. How can anyone have the nerve to tell you you don't have the right to exist? Xemnas himself said Nobodies are shunned by all, residing in neither light nor darkness, but I don't believe that. You are not nothing, Roxas! You're real and that means you have the right to exist. If you think about what a Nobody really is then Xemnas was wrong. A Nobody is the body and soul of a person who lost their heart to the darkness, which means you are not leftovers of Sora. What you really are is a living, breathing, manifestation of Sora's soul."

_What?_

"If that's the case then Sora has a very beautiful soul," Namine said quietly, her face lighting up with happiness.

Roxas stared at her, and unable to utter a reply, he felt his cheeks turn a deep shade of red. Unable to stop himself, he jerked around in his seat to face Sora and he jumped when he realized the Keyblade Master was watching him again. Sora's cheeks had also turned a brilliant shade of red, but nevertheless the Keyblade Master was smiling, and he appeared to be extremely flattered by Namine's unusual compliment.

_I've never thought about it like that before. Are Nobodies really more significant than Xemnas made us out to be? Am I really that...special?_

"You're special to me." Sora mumbled, as if reading his mind.

Roxas shrugged his shoulders, and lowering his deep blue eyes to the ground, he promptly turned away from the Keyblade Master to hide his embarrassment. Feeling slightly nervous, he blurted out the next thought that came into his head. "What if I said the same thing about you?"

Sora blinked and the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. "I'm really lucky to have a Nobody like you, Roxas."

Roxas kept his back to the Keyblade Master, and sheepishly scratching the back of his head, he managed a weak smile. "More like the other way around."

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Pence said cheerfully. "Look at Xehanort. His heart was rotten to the core. No wonder Xemnas was no better than he was."

"Yeah, but how much do we actually know about Xehanort? I mean, was he always evil?" Hayner asked, frowning slightly.

Riku shrugged, and dismissing that thought with a wave of his hand, he said shortly, "Maybe, but maybe not. If Olette's right, more than likely the state of a person's soul is the attitude a Nobody will tend to reflect. That would explain why Roxas and Namine are so conscious of good and evil."

Remembering a conversation he'd had with Axel earlier, Roxas said hesitantly, "Axel once told me that he acts pretty much the same as he did before he became a Nobody. Maybe that's why it was sometimes hard to tell if he was only acting or actually being serious. I mean, you have to admit, half the time even I had trouble figuring out who's side he was actually on."

"His own side, I think," Sora laughed, shaking his head in amusement.

Smiling in agreement, Roxas murmured, "That would be Axel for you."

_Wait a minute, what Namine said...Does that mean I don't really have a heart? Am I only acting as Sora would have acted if he had been in my place?_

Sora seemed to sense what he was thinking because the Keyblade Master suddenly tugged on his arm and gave him a very serious look. "Roxas, your heart is what allows you to act on your feelings. If you didn't have a heart, you wouldn't have understood why you had to leave the Organization in the first place. It took a while, but in the end, you were able to understand the truth. You don't just recognize good and evil, you understand them and you act on them. Of course you acted the way I would have acted when making a lot of your decisions. It's because we're two halves of the same person! You're me and I'm you, and you know what that means, don't you? If I have a heart, then you have a heart, and that means you did exactly what you would have done even if I had never existed in the first place!"

Roxas gaped at his other half, and before he knew what he was doing, he started to laugh. He felt a little bit self-conscious, but even so, he could not stop Sora's happiness from rubbing off on him. "I guess that makes sense in a weird sort of way. Hey, Sora, if Olette's right then I'm double glad I'm your Nobody."

"Same here. I'd hate to have someone like Xemnas for a Nobody."

Sora winced at the thought, and laughing, Roxas wrapped an arm around his other half. "You're nothing like Xehanort and neither am I. Why do you think I'm not like Xemnas? There's no way you could have ended up with a Nobody like him."

"Roxas and Namine weren't born like other Nobodies. We think that's why they have hearts. I don't care what anybody says. I believe they have hearts," Kairi said firmly. "And Axel...I'm not really sure how to explain him..."

_Neither am I..._

"Well, Hayner? Do you think you'll be able to forgive Roxas?" Namine asked, gazing directly into the blond struggler's dark eyes. "I'm no better than him when it comes to making mistakes. I was the one who played around with Sora's memories, remember? We've all done something we're not proud of. Is that any reason to give up on the people we care about?"

Roxas hesitated only a moment before taking Namine's hand and giving her a warm smile. "If I'm really Sora's soul then you're definitely Kairi's."

"Now that's what I call a compliment!" Kairi laughed.

Namine squeezed his hand, and turning to gaze shyly at Kairi, she said softly, "Thanks, Roxas, and you too, Kairi. I'm glad you think so. I feel the same way. I would never want to be anyone else's Nobody but yours."

"And I wouldn't want anyone else but you for a Nobody," Kairi replied, sincerity sparkling in her bright blue eyes. "But...I still don't understand why you had such power over Sora's memories. No one elses. Just Sora's..."

"I have you to thank for that," Namine said quietly, giving the red-haired female a meaningful look.

"Huh?"

_It's because Sora cares so much about Kairi. Kairi has this kind of power over Sora that can only come from being loved deeply by someone whom you love in return, and that power translated to Namine. And here I thought I'd never understand what love is. I guess Axel's advice wasn't so useless after all..._

"Well, Hayner?" Pence demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't know," Hayner said slowly.

"Every single bit of it was real, Hayner, including how much Roxas values your friendship," Sora insisted. "I know it's hard to believe, but I can prove it to you."

"How?"

Sora pulled something out of his shirt, and smiling he held it out to Hayner in the palm of his hand. Curious, Roxas leaned forward to get a good look at the object of Hayner's attention, and a gasp escaped his throat when he realized it was the picture of Hayner, Pence, Olette, and himself that Riku had given Sora as a clue to help the Keyblade Master defeat Xemnas.

_Sora must have grabbed it before telling me about his plan to visit Twilight Town. Since we were separated at the time, he could have easily done so without me knowing._

"What is it?" Pence asked.

Hayner took the picture in his hand and he stared at it for a long moment, Pence and Olette peering over his shoulders. As if on cue, all three of them gasped at the same time, and they stared at the picture as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. After a long, tense silence, Hayner finally looked up, and Roxas found himself gazing nervously into his best friend's dark eyes. Taking a deep breath, he blurted out the one thing he had been desperate to say ever since Sora had forced him to come to Twilight Town. "I don't care what you say, Hayner. You're still my best friend, even if you don't believe me."

He expected Hayner to argue with him, but instead of contradicting him, Hayner smiled, held out his hand, and said, "Welcome back, old friend."


	7. Axel's Parting Gift

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and Disney, but I do wish I owned Roxas...And Axel! And Riku! And...yeah...moving on...

**A/N: And the final chapter is done! Now, one little part of this chapter does sort of make sense if you take some of the Final Mix cutscenes into account. Just in case any of you are wondering and pick up on what I mean. Also, as promised, I will be starting the rewrite for _The Eyes of Twilight_**, **which is the sequel to this story, very soon, so look for it! Also, updates for _Sunset Dreams (_third story in this little series) will also be coming. Again, quotes come from _Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, _and _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. _And that's it from me. This is the last chapter, so please review, as I would very much like to hear your thoughts about whether or not the effort I put into rewriting this story was worth it or not. If you haven't reviewed any other chapters, at least review this one!  
**

The Way to the Heart

Chapter 7: Axel's Parting Gift

_Roxas_

_The Usual Spot, Twilight Town_

For a moment, Roxas thought he must have misinterpreted Hayner's words, but then it suddenly dawned on him that the blond struggler was no longer looking at him like he was the enemy, and his mouth dropped open in shock. "Do you really mean that?"

Hayner handed the photo back to Sora, and shrugging his shoulders, he said lightly, "I guess so. Besides, you were a pretty cool best friend. It would be practically impossible to replace you."

"You're such a jerk, Hayner!" Olette laughed, hugging the blond struggler tightly around the neck. "It's about time you finally came to your senses. If it had been the other way around, you know Roxas would have forgiven you!"

"Don't you think I know that? I'm not stupid, Olette!"

"I never said you were. You're just way too stubborn for your own good."

"I am not!"

_Even after everything I've done, he still wants to be my friend. I feel like I'm dreaming, but I know I'm not. This is real. This is really happening to me. I know Hayner, Pence, and Olette better than I know myself. How could I have ever thought they would turn their backs on me?_

Roxas had not felt this happy since the very first time he had spoken to Sora, and his feelings were so strong, it felt like they were going to overwhelm him. He had been waiting for this moment ever since he had left Hayner, Pence, and Olette behind, and now that it had finally arrived, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on Hayner's arm, and gazing directly into the blond struggler's dark eyes, he gave his best friend a brilliant smile. "Thanks, Hayner, for...for believing in me. I...it means a lot to me, what you said."

Hayner looked at him, and the two of them stared at each other in silence. After what seemed like several minutes, though it was really only a few seconds, Hayner smiled in a teasing sort of way and said, "Is that creepy red-haired guy still your best friend, too? I know he's gone, but..."

"Axel will _always_ be my best friend. He might have disappeared, but as long as I still remember him, he'll never really be gone. We were friends right up until the very moment he sacrificed himself to open a portal to The World that Never Was, despite the problems we were having just before I left the Organization, and nothing can ever take that away from me. I forgot him once, but that's not going to happen again. My memories of him will always be a part of me."

Hayner nodded approvingly, and crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled to show he understood. "I knew you were going to say something like that."

"That explains why we wanted to be your friends in the first place," Pence said thoughtfully, almost to himself.

Roxas gazed self-consciously at his feet, and unable to stop himself, he blurted out the one question that had been bothering him for some time, but because of what the answer might be, he had been unable to voice it, until now. "Hayner, does it bother you that I still consider Axel to be one of my best friends?"

In response to his question, Roxas felt Hayner's arm go around his shoulders, and lifting his head, he found himself gazing into his best friend's dark eyes. Smirking slightly, Hayner scratched the back of his blond head and poked himself in the chest. "I guess I can share, this time, but only because I like you so much. Besides, no one ever said you couldn't have more than one best friend. It's not like there's a law against it or something."

Roxas felt an enormous wave of relief wash over him, and sagging slightly under the weight of Hayner's arm, he managed a shaky smile. "Thanks, Hayner. I knew there was a reason why I wanted to hang out with you."

"I have to admit, compared to some of the other members of the Organization, Axel was a pretty decent guy."

Roxas nodded in agreement and smiling at the blond struggler, he said slowly, "You know what, Hayner? I think you would have gotten along really well with Axel."

"Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?" Riku commented dryly, interrupting the conversation before Hayner could respond.

Hayner glared at Riku, but Roxas merely laughed and smiled at the blond struggler. "Definitely a compliment."

"You still miss Axel, though, don't you?" Olette said softly, a sad smile slipping across her face.

Roxas stared quietly at his hands for a moment, and swallowing a sudden lump in his throat, he mumbled, "I'm always going to miss him. At first, I was really upset, but I'm fine with it now. Well, at least as fine as one can be after losing a close friend. Why? I'm not really sure, but...I think it's because, in the end, I did sort of get a chance to say goodbye, and to me that's the most important thing."

"Wait a minute, how could you have had a chance to say goodbye to Axel when you never spoke to him again after you merged with Sora?" Donald asked, crossing his arms.

Roxas ignored the suspicious look on the court wizard's face, and turning to smile at Sora, he said softly, "You know, don't you?"

Sora nodded and placed a hand against his heart. "The same place you used to tell Axel everything else that was on your mind. The station tower."

"I told him I had to go. I said...I told him you were waiting for me."

Sora lowered his bright blue eyes to the floor, and smiling sadly at his hands, he mumbled, "I know. I remember, though I didn't know what it meant, until now. I don't exactly know how it happened, but that memory of yours is really strong in my heart. It's almost like you and Axel were speaking together in your mind; in my mind. That memory only came to me pretty recently, but it's strong, and I'm glad you got to see Axel again. I...you know...you were waiting for me a lot longer than I had to wait for you."

Roxas put his hand on Sora's shoulder, and the Keyblade Master slowly turned to look at him. At first, he didn't know what to say, but then the words suddenly came to him. It was almost as if his heart had been waiting for this exact moment because for the first time in his life, he knew exactly how to respond. "Trust me, it was worth the wait. Axel understood. We both knew what I had to do, and in the end, despite the way he relentlessly hounded me in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, he knew he had to let me go. If you had been anyone else, he might have put up more of a fight; he might have even tried to turn you back into a Heartless, but...he wanted you to help me find my heart just as much as I did. He never said it in so many words, at least not while I was in the Organization, but...like you, Sora, I think he believed I had a heart. On the outside, it may have seemed as if he only cared about saving his own skin, with the way he spent so much time looking out for his own best interests, more so than even working for the good of the Organization, but...I haven't forgotten. I remember. When I was still a member, he spent more time thinking about me and what would make me happy than he did about himself. Except...except for when he wouldn't tell me the truth about who I was..."

"But now, at least, you understand _why _he wouldn't tell you," Namine said quietly, giving him a sad smile. "Maybe it was selfish of him, but..."

Glancing self-consciously at Sora, Roxas mumbled, "Does the way Axel...you know...treated you make you angry? I mean...he didn't want us to be together..."

"Maybe not, but...the reason Axel didn't want you to merge with me was because he thought it meant he would never see you again," Sora said quietly, his gaze still focused on his hands. "How can I fault him for something like that? I probably would have felt the same way it I thought Riku was going to disappear."

Riku jerked his head up and he stared at Sora in surprise, but the Keyblade Master refused to look at his best friend. Roxas smiled in amusement, and nudging his other half in the ribs, he said, "I should have known you would understand."

"I know Axel was afraid you would disappear, but I don't think it's because he didn't understand what would happen to you. Like Namine, he knew, but at that point I don't think he was quite ready to face the truth yet."

_**"Silly, just because you have a next life..."**_

Roxas had never forgotten Axel's words, and clearly that was one of his memories the Keyblade Master had managed to pick up on. "You know what, Sora? I think you might be right."

"Of course he is!" Kairi said cheerfully, beaming at the Keyblade Master.

Sora suddenly looked up, and Roxas was so startled by the Keyblade Master's unexpected movement he nearly fell into Kairi's lap. Somehow he managed to straighten up, but before he could settle himself comfortably on the floor again, he found himself gazing into his other half's deep blue eyes. Sora stared curiously at him for a moment and he felt his face turn red. "What?"

_It's not like I tried to flatten Kairi on purpose!_

Sora scratched his spiky hair, and shrugging his shoulders, he said, "It's nothing. I just wish...well...I never got to thank Axel for all of his help. In the end, he wanted the two of us to work together. He trusted me, and...I never got a chance to tell him how much that meant to me. He really believed in me, and it's almost like he knew you would find a way to be happy again."

"No, it's like he knew I would be happy with you."

Sora stared at him, and he quickly ducked his head to hide his embarrassment.

_Great, I'm getting as bad as he is! Riku's never going to let me forget this!_

"Do you really think so?" Sora asked hopefully.

Roxas shrugged, and lowering his gaze to the ground he managed a nervous smile. "Don't worry, Sora, he knew how you felt. I might not be sure about a lot of things, but I knew Axel better than I knew all of the other members of the Organization combined, even if there were a lot of things about himself he wouldn't tell me, and somehow I just know he understood exactly how you were feeling. You are me, after all, and sometimes I think he knew me better than I knew myself. No...he _did _know me better than I knew myself. He knew about you, didn't he? He knew a lot of things I didn't know."

"Does it bother you that Axel kept so many secrets from you?" Pence asked hesitantly.

Unable to look at Pence, Roxas mumbled, "Not anymore, but...that wasn't always the case. When I started to realize he was keeping secrets from me, I was so angry. We were supposed to be best friends, but suddenly he started acting like someone I didn't even recognize anymore..."

_**"Best friends are honest with each other! Who am I, Axel?"**_

"That must have really hurt you," Olette said quietly, giving him a sympathetic smile.

_**"I tried, but...there's nothing left for me here. The answers are out there..."**_

"Yeah, it did. I felt like I was losing my best friend. If I couldn't trust Axel, then who could I trust? I felt like everything around me was falling apart and there was nothing I could do about it. I felt lost, and I knew I had to find some answers before I ended up losing a vital part of who I was."

"Now that Axel's gone, do you still feel that way?" Hayner asked hesitantly, looking a little uncertain of whether or not he should have asked.

"Like I said before, I think Axel understood how I felt, and he knew what I needed to do, but at the time, he just wasn't willing to accept the truth. I can't be angry about that. Not anymore. Why? It's simple. He was only doing what the Organization wanted him to do. How can I be angry at him for that when at one point I was doing the exact same thing? In the end, we were all victims of Xemnas; of Xehanort. Xigbar, Marluxia, Larxene, Demyx, Zexion, Luxord, Xaldin...all of us, including Axel. If only things could have been different..."

"Did you get along with any of the other Nobodies in the Organization besides Axel?" Hayner interrupted, curiosity sparkling in his dark eyes.

In response to Hayner's question, Roxas laughed and made a face. "Well...surprisingly enough, I got along pretty well with Xigbar, even if he did have a habit of giving me stupid nicknames. It's actually pretty amazing when you think about it, since he was one of the members who was really high up the food chain, and I was right down at the bottom. Number II, you know. He was always nice to me, though he _did _like to tease me a lot."

_**"Not bad! Our little Roxas is growing up so fast."**_

_**"Are you making fun of me?"**_

_**"As if! That was a compliment."**_

"Number II, huh?" Pence replied, a thoughtful look on his face. "Sounds like he was pretty important."

"I wouldn't really know. The higher-ups didn't tell me anything unless it benefited them in some way."

_**"You don't have to sneak around now that you're one of them. I'm sure you'll be the best wannabe hero they've ever had."**_

_**"Wannabe? What's that supposed to mean?"**_

_**"Heh, what indeed?"**_

_**"Hey, you're bailing on me?"**_

_**"As if. I just don't want to get in the way of your valuable training. I care about your future, Roxas..."**_

_Looks like I'm not such a wannabe, after all. My future, huh? Right...I wonder what he really meant by that..._

"Well, at least it wasn't _all_ bad then," Olette interrupted, though she looked a little bit hesitant about whether or not that was actually true. "What about the others?"

"I got along pretty well with Luxord. He liked to tease me a bit the way Xigbar did, but despite some of his remarks he was always really nice to me. Our missions always went well together, and he seemed to think it was important to teach me the rules of the game."

"Game?" Hayner asked, frowning in confusion.

"The game of life," Sora replied, a slight smile on his face. "According to Luxord, life is a game of chance and a little bit of luck. Whichever way the wheel of fate turns, you better hope you have a good hand, and if not then you'd better be careful with how you play your cards."

"Or he'll never let you hear the end of it," Roxas added, exchanging a smile with the Keyblade Master.

_**"That cat is a walking question mark."**_

_**"Nobody's going to reveal his hand from the get-go. You have to outwit your opponent in the give and take to figure them out. And frankly I don't see you outwitting that cat anytime soon."**_

_**"Well, excuse me."**_

"It seems you were better able to relate to the Organization members who acted older and more mature, minus Axel," Pence said thoughtfully, nodding head as if he understood. "I guess that makes sense. You were always a lot more serious than Hayner, and definitely much more mature."

"Hey!" Hayner shouted, glaring at the dark-haired boy.

Frowning thoughtfully at his hands, Roxas said slowly, "That wasn't always the case. I don't think Xaldin thought too much of me. He was always getting impatient with me, like I was a burden or something. And then there was Saix. I _hated_ Saix."

In response to this sudden declaration, Olette stared at him in surprise and said hesitantly, "Um...how come?"

_**"We don't accept resignations."**_

_**"I've got nothing to say to you."**_

_**"Then let's keep this short and sweet..."**_

For a moment, Roxas was confused, but he did not take back his words. Though he couldn't remember exactly why any mention of Saix always brought a bitter taste to his mouth and a sudden spark of rage, he knew there was a reason for it. A good reason.

Something big.

_**"Look at you, Roxas. Up in arms over a Nobody..."**_

"Roxas?" Olette pressed, looking a little nervous.

"I just...He was the one who always gave us our missions, and the way he spoke... So cold. No feeling at all. He was so...frustrating. He even got to Axel a lot, and you know what Axel was like. He wasn't the type of person to let someone like Saix get under his skin..."

"Yeah..." Sora murmured, his expression becoming suddenly thoughtful.

_Is he maybe seeing something in my memories that I might have misseed? Some small detail that didn't seem important at the time, but was maybe more important than I thought it was?_

Not quite sure if he really wanted to know the answer to that, Roxas said hurriedly, "Some of the members of the Organization I never really got to know very well, since they left for Castle Oblivion pretty soon after I was recruited. And then...they...you know...disappeared, thanks to Axel, Riku, and Sora, but when they _were _still at the castle, they weren't always very nice to me."

"Those jerks," Hayner muttered, making a fist.

"Larxene was always calling me a brat, and I hated it with a passion. You should have seen her when she was trying to teach me how to use my magic. She wasn't exactly very helpful..."

_**"You'd be nothing without that Keyblade..."**_

"Then there was Marluxia. All he ever did was suck up to the Keyblade and talk about how great it was."

**_"Roxas, could you summon your Keyblade for me?"_**

**_"Well, sure...all right."_**

**_"Lucky Number XIII. At last, a chosen wielder of the Keyblade amongst our ranks."_**

"He sounds like he was a real winner," Hayner snorted.

"He was polite, but man was he ever annoying. Keyblade this and Keyblade that. Seriously, I bet that's why he went out of his way to get friendly with me. It was because I could wield a Keyblade. The only reason he bothered to talk to me at all was because of Sora. And then there was Zexion. He hardly ever spoke to me, but when he did, it was hard to tell what kind of a mood he was in. Sometimes, he could be pretty rude, and other times he was really respectful. For all his faults, though, I will say he did know how to give credit where credit was due, and he didn't hesitate to tell me when I was doing a good job. Then again, he didn't hesitate to tell me when I _wasn't _doing a good job either..."

_**"You don't have to eliminate them all. It's your choice.**** Just like I don't have to respect you for slinking back to the castle while there's still work to be done..."**_

"Zexion acted pretty mysterious for a Nobody, and he spent quite a bit of time ignoring me, but...sometimes I would look up and find him watching me as if I were a particularly interesting book he wanted to read..."

_**"Kingdom Hearts is made up of the very things we lack-a multitude of hearts. It has the power to complete us. Are you starting to see why you're so important?"**_

"He sounds like he was a real creep to me," Hayner muttered, making a face.

Smiling faintly, Roxas said, "Well, at least he worked. Unlike Demyx."

"Ouch," Sora laughed, smiling in amusement. "That wasn't very nice."

"Hey, it's true! Well, maybe not entirely true. I mean, he must have at least occasionally made an attempt to work for Xemnas to keep him around, but I definitely never saw it. When I got stuck doing missions with him, I ended up doing all the work!"

_**"Demyx! You were here? Why didn't you come and help?"**_

_**"I was, uh...cheering you on! Couldn't you hear me? Gimme an 'R'! Gimme an-"**_

_**"Are you blind!? That wasn't part of the games!"**_

"Hey, at least he knew how to have fun!" Sora laughed.

Rolling his eyes, Roxas made a face at the Keyblade Master, and growing suddenly serious, he said quietly, "They were all the same, and yet they were so different from each other, but there was one thing they did have in common. All of the members of the Organization were interested in _you_, Sora. Which explains why Marluxia was so interested in sucking up to me all the time. What better way to learn more about the Keyblade Master and his weaknesses than by becoming friendly with his Nobody? Maybe Larxene and some of the others didn't look at it that way, but Marluxia did. To the Organization, I was just a tool. Their ticket to collecting hearts for Kingdom Hearts. When I wasn't on a mission, most of the time the members of the Organization, other than Axel, never bothered with me much. Even though I had the Keyblade, like Larxene, I think they saw me as a kid who was more of a nuisance than a member of the Organization. Except maybe for Xemnas. I rarely saw the Superior, but when I did, he gave me the creeps. I think...he kept a much closer eye on me than I ever realized, despite the fact that he was more of an enigma to me than a Nobody with actual substance. It's almost like...he knew I would end up betraying them."

"Well, you are Sora after all," Kairi said softly. "Even he couldn't ignore the risks of what that meant."

"It's funny, though, but when I did speak to him, he was actually...pretty nice to me. More so than Saix ever was, and though he spoke in riddles a lot, he always answered me honestly, even if I didn't always understand what he was saying. He didn't dodge around my questions the way the other members of the Organization did. Axel worst of all. Xemnas never would have thought twice about getting rid of me if I ever became a problem, as he proved near the end, but...despite that he _still _gave me answers, and he still treated me like I was a valuable member of the team..."

_**"...Sora."**_

_**"..."**_

_**"Who is Sora?"**_

_**"He's the connection..."**_

"That's because you _were_ a valuable member of the team," Sora insisted.

"You wouldn't know that from the way some of them treated me. Of course, none of them could disregard me completely, since they knew how important I was."

"Gawrsh, Roxas, it doesn't sound like you had very much fun in the Organization," Goofy said thoughtfully, twirling his shield absent-mindedly in his hands.

"Not really, no, unless Axel was with me."

"At least _he _knew how to have fun," Hayner agreed.

Roxas rolled his eyes, and turning to Sora, he poked the Keyblade Master in the arm. "Hey, do you think Axel might be the reason why we were able to meet each other in person in the first place? I mean, do you think Axel had something to do with me being able to appear to you in The World that Never Was? That was when I discovered I could separate myself from your body, but I know for a fact I hadn't been able to do something like that before then because...well...I tried several times and it didn't work. I'll admit I didn't try very hard because I...I wasn't really ready to face you yet, but..."

Sora studied his face for a moment, and nodding slowly, he said, "I think so. Roxas, I was the one who brought you into existence by becoming a Heartless, but Axel was the one who made you real to me, and I made you real to everyone else. It makes sense, doesn't it? Axel triggered your appearance to me, and because of that I was finally able to see you and meet you. And now, you're starting to become real to everyone else. I know it's kind of confusing, but-"

"No, it makes perfect sense. Thanks to Axel, we've been able to see each other ever since. "

_He's done more for me than he'll ever know..._

"Sora, do you remember when you first woke up and you thought you heard someone calling your name?" Roxas blurted out, before he could stop himself. "You asked who was there, but no one answered. It was me. I was the one calling out your name after I merged with you. You needed to wake up. You needed to help your friends. You needed to stop the Organization...to...to save Kingdom Hearts..."

Sora's mouth fell open, and the Keyblade Master stared at him in shock. "That was you? I wondered about that, but I never knew for sure, until now. You know what, Roxas? I'm the lucky one."

Roxas stared at his feet and smiled softly to himself. "Thanks, Sora."

"This is how it was meant to be," Namine said quietly, her bright blue eyes sparkling happily in the sunshine streaming through the edges of the curtain covering the open door. "I wanted so badly for you to be happy, Roxas. I'm so glad everything worked out for you. Seeing you happy always makes me feel good."

Roxas blushed, and gazing hopefully at the female Nobody, he stammered, "Really? I feel the same way about you."

"And don't worry, Namine, we forgive you, just like we forgive Roxas," Olette said firmly, giving the other girl a quick hug. "You were a victim just as much as he was."

"We're honoured to have you in our group," Pence said enthusiastically. "You're a part of our gang just as much as Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and pretty much everyone else."

"As I always say, it never hurts to have too many friends," Hayner said nonchalantly, grinning at Namine.

Namine's sapphire eyes filled with tears and she beamed at everyone. "Thank you, all of you."

"Well, I guess that means everything is back to normal, if you can call all the weird stuff that's happened normal!" Olette laughed.

Roxas raised his eyebrows, and tugging lightly on a lock of Olette's dark hair, he said, "Easy for you to say. I'm still getting used to being friends with myself!"

The words had barely left his mouth when he felt Oblivion poke him sharply in the side. Turning, he glared at his other half, and knocking the dark Keyblade aside with his hand, he said in outrage, "What was that for?"

"Revenge! You poked me first!"

"Real mature, Sora," Olette snorted.

Kairi giggled and jumped quickly to her feet. "Who's up for some sea-salt ice cream?"

"Oh, boy! That's the best idea I've heard all day!" Donald shouted, jumping up and hitting Goofy over the head with his staff. "Come on, slowpoke, it's time to eat!"

"But...what about Namine and Roxas? They're transparent! They can't leave here looking like that, can they?" Pence asked hesitantly.

Hayner snorted and clapped his hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Sure they can. The people in this town have seen weirder things than Roxas and Namine. Take Donald for example. How many talking ducks are there in Twilight Town?"

"Hey!" Donald grumbled.

Hayner grinned at the court wizard and shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, I want to see the look on Seifer's face when he comes in contact with a 'ghost'!"

Laughing, Roxas got to his feet and he followed the others out the door, Sora trailing along behind him. Kairi, Namine, and Olette were whispering to each other at the front of the group and every so often they would smile mysteriously over their shoulders and burst into sudden fits of laughter. Goofy and Donald were arguing loudly together in the middle of the group while Pence and Riku seemed to have gotten themselves into a discussion about Ansem the Wise.

Glancing at the others to make sure no one but Sora could overhear them, Roxas turned to Hayner and smiled weakly at the blond struggler. "Thanks for believing in me."

"Don't worry about it. You would have done the same for me. You'll come back and visit us a lot, won't you?"

"Of course he will," Sora said cheerfully, throwing his arms behind his head and stepping up next to them with a smile on his face.

Roxas put an arm around his other half and turned to smile at Hayner. "What he said."

"Do I know how to pick a best friend, or what?"

"Roxas, you'd better visit us a lot!" Olette shouted over her shoulder.

_So much for not being overheard._

Somehow Olette had ended up walking next to Riku, and for the first time since he had met the female resident of Twilight Town, Riku seemed to notice the way she was gazing at him. He looked surprised, and a little bit amused, but instead of mentioning it, he merely smiled at her and proceeded to ask some questions about Twilight Town.

Coming to a decision, Roxas leaned close to Sora and nodded his head towards Kairi. "Tell her how you feel. It'll be easier than you think."

"But-"

"Just do it!"

Sora blushed, and after a slight hesitation, the Keyblade Master nodded slowly. "I'll do it, but only if you tell Namine you like her."

"What? Are you crazy? I'm not telling her that!"

"Hey, buddy, we're in this together! If you won't do it then I won't do it!"

"He's got you there!" Hayner smirked.

Roxas glanced at Namine, who smiled at him, and blushing slightly, he quickly turned back to Sora. "So...if I talk to Namine, you'll talk to Kairi?"

Sora beamed at him and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's right."

Roxas took a deep breath and he glared at the Keyblade Master. "Fine, I'll do it, but if you back out on me-"

"I won't, I promise."

Hayner stared at them and shook his head. "Sora, you were right. Roxas is _definitely_ your Nobody."

Sora looked a little bit confused about whether or not he should be insulted, but before the Keyblade Master could work out what Hayner had said, Roxas once again put an arm around his other half and suppressed a smile.

_So this is what it feels like to be really, truly happy. Namine was right. I am whole again, in more ways than one. All of the best parts of my life and the best parts of Sora's life have come together, and it's made both of us complete. Hayner, Pence, Olette...they were here all along. All I had to do was find them again. In a way, it's all thanks to Axel. If it hadn't been for him, I might not have found a way to interact with Sora and none of this would have ever happened._

_**"I wanted to see Roxas. He was the only one I liked. He made me feel...like I had a heart..."**_

Roxas looked up at the pale orange sky hovering above Twilight Town and he smiled at the sun shining low in the distance. Even though Axel had disappeared, Roxas knew the red-haired Nobody was still out there watching over him, and as far as he was concerned, they would always be best friends. As long as Axel remained in his heart, the red-haired Nobody would never really be gone. Hayner, Pence, Olette, Sora, Namine, and all of his other friends were with him, but the one thing that made him the most happy was the fact that he just knew Axel was proud of him, and that made him proud to be a Nobody.

_Besides, he's not gone forever. We'll see each other again. I know we will._

Smiling to himself, Roxas patted Sora's shoulder, and turning his head, he focused his gaze on the clock tower looming above Twilight Town. He had his friends, he had Sora and Namine, but most of all he had his heart, and that alone had made his journey through the darkness worth every bit of pain he had suffered.

There was no denying he was a Nobody. But he was_ Sora's _Nobody, and that made all the difference in the world.

_As Sora once said: "The heart may be weak, and sometimes it may even give in, but I know, deep inside, there is a light that never goes out."_

A light he knew would always burn bright within him.

The End

_"I belong with Sora. And now, I am going back...to be with him." (Xion: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days)_


End file.
